Professional Training and Certification of taxicab inspectors and regulators

2. Professional Training and Certification of taxicab inspectors and regulators Challenges and Best Practice The London Perspective Alan Matthews Head of Projects and Developments Public Carriage Office, Transport for London

3. Vehicle Inspection Personnel Vehicle Licensing Inspectors service contracted out third party service provider 22 vehicle inspectors carrying out taxi inspections all Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) trained and approved all required to undergo refresher training and approval all subject to in-house training (procedures, regulations, business changes, performance reviews)

4. Compliance and Enforcement Personnel PCO Vehicle Examiners (10 officers) on-street compliance and enforcement (taxi and PHV) professionally trained/qualified vehicle examiners (variety of recognised professional qualifications) inspect taxis and PHVs on street inspect taxi and PHV driver documentation perform planned and ad-hoc inspections (day and night) participate in multi-agency operations (e.g. police, VOSA, Local Authorities) provide a presence at special events (e.g. Wimbledon)

5. PCO Licensing Officers (34 officers) inspection of new despatch companies (operators) continual inspection of existing despatch companies 2,300 licensed operators with around 5,500 inspections per annum inspect despatch company records - bookings - drivers - vehicles - complaints - lost property participate in multi-agency operations

7. PCO Licensing Enforcement Vehicle

8. 2007/08 Performance(on-street compliance team) Taxis Total taxicabs inspected on street 6,647 Total found to be unfit 805 (12%) Total number of ‘unfit’ reasons 2,097 (av. 2.5 per cab) Main reasons for failure - steering - bodywork - emissions equipment - documents (licences/insurance)

9. PHVs Total PHVs inspected on street 2,953 Total found to be unfit 477 Total number of ‘unfit’ reasons 687 Main reasons for failure - tyres - bodywork - licence discs - documentation (licence/badges) Complaints reported to the PCO 76

10. Transport Operations Command Unit (Police) part of the Metropolitan Police but funded by TfL police all main TfL transport routes responsible for on-street day and night operations powers to stop vehicles and arrest taxi touts (i.e. unlicensed drivers, vehicle users etc)

11. Training and Best Practice for PCO personnel strategy and vision statement customer charter guiding principles - proportionality - accountability - consistency - transparency - targeting

12. Code of Conduct - honesty and integrity - responsibility and support - confidentiality - care and use of property - appearance - general conduct to colleagues and others clear roles and responsibilities clear statement of functions to be performed clear statement of priorities, performance delivery and measurement

13. Training Professional qualifications TfL support personal development with funding and/or time off for relevant qualifications relevant engineering qualifications mandatory requirement for on-street vehicle examiners specialist qualifications optional for Licensing Officers

14. On-going personal development all staff to agree annual personal development plan TfL provide range of job related training/education/personal improvement opportunities (funding and time off to be agreed by local managers) recognised voluntary work supported by time off (e.g. special constables, school governors etc) TfL encourage voluntary mentoring schemes by senior managers of junior staff

15. Job specific training specialist, customised training tailored to relevant personnel legal, regulatory powers, interpretation and application of legal powers staff management

16. tfl.gov.uk