Passenger protection
Passenger safety, welfare, communication and reasonable onward arrangements remain central to continuity decisions.
Corporate Policy
Business Continuity Policy.
Black Fleet London maintains practical continuity arrangements designed to protect passengers, client commitments and essential operational functions when normal service delivery is disrupted.
This public policy summarises Black Fleet London’s continuity principles. Detailed internal contact routes, system information and commercially sensitive recovery procedures are not published publicly.
Purpose
Protecting essential operations when normal arrangements are interrupted.
The purpose of this policy is to establish the principles Black Fleet London uses to prepare for disruption, maintain essential operational activity and restore normal service in a controlled manner.
Continuity planning supports passenger welfare, client communication, lawful operation, operational accountability and the protection of commercially important services.
Scope of this policy
- Confirmed passenger journeys and time-critical transport commitments
- Booking, allocation and journey-management activities
- Chauffeur, vehicle and operating-capacity disruption
- Communication systems and essential operational information
- Staff, operating partners and suppliers supporting service delivery
- Business premises, technology and other operational dependencies
Policy Statement
A proportionate and passenger-focused approach to continuity.
Black Fleet London recognises that operational disruption may arise without warning. The company therefore seeks to maintain practical contingency arrangements proportionate to the nature, timing and risk of the services being delivered.
Operational control
Changes, replacements and recovery decisions should remain centrally coordinated and appropriately recorded.
Proportionate response
The response should reflect the severity, timing, passenger impact and operational consequences of the disruption.
Clear communication
Relevant clients, passengers and service providers should receive timely, accurate and proportionate information.
Recovery and review
Following material disruption, outcomes and corrective actions should be recorded and reviewed.
No unsupported guarantees
Continuity arrangements support resilience but do not remove all risks or guarantee uninterrupted service in every circumstance.
Disruption Scenarios
Continuity planning based on credible operational risks.
Continuity measures may be activated where an incident threatens a confirmed journey, essential operating function, information resource or the company’s ability to communicate and coordinate service delivery.
Chauffeur unavailability
Illness, delay, emergency, non-response or another issue preventing an allocated chauffeur from completing the assignment.
Vehicle disruption
Breakdown, damage, warning lights, collision, licensing concern or other circumstances affecting vehicle suitability.
Technology interruption
Temporary loss of access to booking, communication or operational systems required for service coordination.
Communication failure
Mobile, internet, email or messaging disruption affecting contact with clients, passengers or service providers.
Major travel disruption
Severe congestion, road closure, weather, airport disruption, public transport failure or other network-wide delay.
Premises unavailability
Temporary inability to access normal working premises or facilities used to manage the operation.
Supplier disruption
Failure or withdrawal of an external operator, supplier or essential service supporting delivery.
Wider emergency
Public emergency, security event, infrastructure failure or other circumstances outside normal operational control.
Activation and Escalation
Response levels matched to the effect of the disruption.
Not every operational issue requires formal continuity activation. Escalation should reflect the number of affected journeys, passenger risk, urgency, commercial impact and the availability of normal recovery options.
Level 1
Local operational issue
A single journey or limited operational activity is affected and can normally be managed through routine replacement, communication or rescheduling procedures.
Level 2
Significant disruption
Multiple journeys, important client commitments or essential operating functions are affected and require coordinated management intervention.
Level 3
Major continuity event
A serious or prolonged incident affects essential operations, multiple stakeholders or the company’s ability to deliver and communicate normally.
Continuity Priorities
Essential outcomes that guide the response.
Where disruption occurs, decisions should focus first on immediate passenger and safety requirements, followed by essential communication, operational coordination and the controlled restoration of service.
Protect people
Consider immediate passenger, chauffeur, staff and public safety.
Maintain contact
Preserve or restore essential communication with affected parties.
Protect confirmed journeys
Prioritise imminent, time-critical and operationally sensitive work.
Restore control
Re-establish reliable allocation, information and oversight processes.
Continuity Response
A controlled route from identification to recovery.
The response process is intended to support timely action without losing operational accountability or creating unnecessary disclosure and confusion.
01
Identify
Confirm what has occurred and which journeys or functions may be affected.
02
Assess
Evaluate safety, urgency, passenger impact and likely duration.
03
Contain
Take reasonable immediate action to prevent further disruption or harm.
04
Communicate
Provide relevant and proportionate information to affected stakeholders.
05
Recover
Restore essential operations using approved alternatives where available.
06
Review
Record the outcome and identify any corrective or preventive actions.
Operational Continuity Arrangements
Practical measures supporting passenger transport operations.
The availability and suitability of each measure will depend on the circumstances, location, timing, service class and scale of the disruption.
Chauffeur replacement
Alternative licensed capacity may be identified where the original chauffeur becomes unavailable before or during an assignment.
Vehicle replacement
A suitable replacement vehicle may be coordinated where the allocated vehicle can no longer be used safely or lawfully.
Operator-network support
A well-connected network of licensed private hire operators may support additional capacity, wider coverage and contingency arrangements.
Alternative communication
Where a normal communication channel is unavailable, another approved and proportionate contact method may be used.
Remote operating capability
Essential coordination may continue away from normal premises where appropriate systems and secure access remain available.
Manual operating procedures
Temporary manual records and controlled communication may be used where normal technology is unavailable.
Continuity Communication
Timely information without unnecessary uncertainty or disclosure.
Communication during disruption should be accurate, proportionate and focused on the information required by the recipient. Unconfirmed information should not be presented as fact.
Where service is affected, communications should explain the current position, any reasonable interim action and the next expected update where that information is available.
Communication principles
- Prioritise immediate passenger and operational communication
- Confirm known facts before issuing material updates
- Avoid making guarantees that cannot be supported
- Protect confidential and personal information
- Maintain a record of significant instructions and decisions
- Escalate serious client or reputational concerns appropriately
Roles and Responsibilities
Clear accountability before, during and after disruption.
01
Director
Oversees the continuity framework, significant incidents, major priorities and material corrective actions.
02
Operations team
Coordinates the immediate response, allocation changes, communication, records and operational recovery.
03
Operating partners
Report disruption promptly, cooperate with reasonable continuity instructions and provide accurate operational information.
04
Chauffeurs
Protect passengers, report issues without delay and follow lawful operational and safety instructions.
Recovery and Review
Returning to normal operation and learning from disruption.
Recovery is complete when essential operational control has been restored, affected stakeholders have received appropriate communication and any temporary arrangements have been closed or transferred into normal operating procedures.
Material incidents should be reviewed to identify root causes, control weaknesses, recurring risks and reasonable corrective actions.
01
Confirm recovery
Verify that essential operating activities and communication routes are functioning.
02
Close temporary measures
Remove or document temporary arrangements that are no longer required.
03
Review the event
Assess causes, decisions, communication and the effectiveness of the response.
04
Improve controls
Update procedures, systems, information or training where proportionate.
Records
Continuity records and evidence
Black Fleet London may maintain records of material disruptions, operational decisions, replacement arrangements, communications, recovery actions and subsequent reviews.
Records should be proportionate to the incident and retained according to applicable operational, contractual, legal and information-governance requirements.
Testing and Maintenance
Keeping continuity arrangements practical
Continuity arrangements may be tested through operational exercises, system checks, contact verification, replacement scenarios or review of real incidents.
The policy and supporting procedures should also be reviewed following significant organisational, operational, technological or regulatory change.
Important limitation
Black Fleet London will take reasonable and proportionate steps to maintain or recover service. However, continuity arrangements cannot eliminate every risk or guarantee uninterrupted delivery where circumstances are outside reasonable operational control.
Related Governance
Business continuity supported by connected policies.
Health and Safety Policy
Safety responsibilities, risk awareness and incident-reporting principles.
Information Security Policy
Information availability, access control and response to security incidents.
Complaints and Service Recovery
Complaint handling, operational recovery and corrective-action principles.
Corporate Due Diligence
Need further business continuity information?
Corporate clients and prospective partners may contact Black Fleet London to discuss continuity expectations, operational resilience, supplier onboarding or proportionate supporting evidence.