A list of owners and number plates of the States Controlled Taxis (FOI)

​​Request

I'd like a list of all current owners and number plates of the States controlled taxi's, as well as an indication as to which are active on a regular basis.

Also if there was an indication of how long the waiting list is as well as the current process when a 'plate' is 'sold' onto a new operator/vehicle.

Response

1. The information which can be disclosed is as follows:

The list of plate holder personal information cannot be supplied, as release of driver personal data would be in breach of data protection regulations, see FOI exemption clause applied.

With regards to activity data, all 'controlled' public rank taxis are subject to minimum annual mileage requirements and are as such considered to be active. 

Where a driver is unable to meet the minimum mileage required, the plate will be withdrawn and reissued to the next driver on the waiting list, except in the instance of 'time limited' exceptional circumstances such as an acute medical condition or temporary personal crisis for example.

A table of total plate numbers (of all types) and their status can be found in a previous question dated 12 August 2015 below. 

Taxi Operators Register (FOI)

The remainder of the information is exempt under article 25(2) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 and is therefore withheld.  See exemption details below.

Exemption(s)

FOI exemption applied:

Article 25(2) Personal Information

Personal data, applicant not subject but supply contravenes data protection principles

Information is absolutely exempt information if (a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and (b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

Justification for exemption

Personal information is absolutely exempt information if (a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and (b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that law.

2. The process for offering out controlled taxi cab plates can be categorised as being managed by a simple waiting list on a 'first come first served basis’. 

All 'restricted' private hire taxi cab plate holders are automatically included as 'eligible' on the waiting list to for 'controlled' public rank taxi plates. 

When a 'restricted' plate holder rises to the top of the list he or she is offered the next available plate.

This means that there are notionally 113 private hire owner driver plate holders on the waiting list for 'controlled' plates. 

However in practice, offers of a 'controlled' plate are on occasion deferred by drivers and this has happened on eleven occasions recently, meaning the best estimate for eligible drivers actively awaiting a 'controlled' plate is 102.

Unlike some other jurisdictions, taxi plates in Jersey always remain the property of the States of Jersey meaning that they cannot be sold or otherwise traded.

A more detailed explanation is available on pages 22  to 25 of the 2012 'Taxi Regulatory Reform' Green Paper report, which can be found below. 

Download taxi regulatory reform recommendations (size 572kb)