FI16271

Request

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following recorded information relating to the training requirements for licensed taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers within your authority.

For the purposes of this request, please include both Hackney carriage (taxi) and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers, where data is available.

Please provide, where held, the following information:

1. The total number of licensed taxi and PHV drivers registered with your authority in each of the past five financial years (2019/20 to 2023/24 inclusive).
a) If possible, please provide a breakdown of driver numbers by licence type (e.g. Hackney carriage, PHV, dual badge) for each year. 

2. Whether your authority currently requires licensed taxi and/or PHV drivers to complete safeguarding training as part of their initial licence application and/or renewal.
a) Is this training delivered face-to-face, online, or both. 

3. Whether your authority currently requires licensed taxi and/or PHV drivers to complete disability awareness training as part of their initial licence application and/or renewal.
a) Is this training delivered face-to-face, online, or both. 

4. The total number of drivers who completed each type of training (safeguarding and/or disability awareness) in each of the past five financial years (2019/20 to 2023/24 inclusive). 

5. The total annual spend by your authority on driver safeguarding and/or disability awareness training (if applicable) in each of the past five financial years. If training is paid for directly by drivers, please confirm this. 

6. If safeguarding or disability training is required, how frequently must drivers repeat or renew this training (e.g. every three years, one-off only, at each renewal)? 

7. Does your authority maintain a central record of completed driver training (safeguarding/disability), or are drivers required to submit their own evidence? 

8. Is your authority’s current taxi/PHV driver training policy or guidance publicly available online? If so, please provide a link or URL. 

9. Does your authority provide any support or alternatives for drivers with low digital literacy, disabilities, or other accessibility needs when completing mandatory training?

 

Response

1. The Council issues joint hackney carriage and private hire drivers’ licences. 

2019/2020	204
2020/2021	251
2021/2022	195
2022/2023	272
2023/2024	256

2. On initial grant of licence Face to Face.

3. On initial grant of licence Face to Face.

4. As follows:

2019/2020	37
2020/2021	18
2021/2022	7
2022/2023	40
2023/2024	32

5. The training is delivered in-house, there is no additional fee to the driver’s application.

6. Training is only given on initial grant of the licence.  The training was first introduced in 2016 and all current driver at the time completed the training.

7. Records are kept.

8. https://www.dover.gov.uk/Business/Licensing/Taxis/Taxis.aspx

9. Training is not given digitally. If any additional support is required, this would be delt with on a case by case basis.