Website booking
Client details and journey requirements submitted through the approved online booking flow.
TfL Licensed Private Hire Operator
Booking Records and Dispatch Control Policy.
Black Fleet London maintains a centrally controlled booking and allocation framework designed to ensure that every journey is accepted, recorded, confirmed, allocated, monitored and closed through an accountable licensed private hire operation.
Black Fleet London Ltd is licensed and regulated by Transport for London. The company is subject to continuing regulatory oversight and reports that its booking, dispatch and compliance arrangements are checked and reviewed by TfL annually, with additional inspection possible where TfL considers it necessary.
Purpose
One accountable record for every accepted booking.
The purpose of this policy is to define how Black Fleet London accepts, creates, verifies, confirms, allocates, changes, monitors and retains private hire booking records.
The booking record is the operational source of truth. It should show what the client requested, what Black Fleet London accepted, who managed the booking, who delivered the service and how material changes or incidents were handled.
Scope of this policy
- Website, telephone, email and account bookings
- Bookings entered by authorised operational personnel
- Quotations converted into confirmed journeys
- Card, payment-link and account-based bookings
- Driver and vehicle allocation
- Subcontracting to approved licensed operators
- Replacement, cancellation and amendment records
- Journey statuses, exceptions and service closure
Operator Accountability
The booking remains under Black Fleet London’s control from acceptance to closure.
When Black Fleet London accepts a private hire booking, it manages the passenger relationship and operating record as the licensed operator. The use of an approved licensed operating partner does not justify a gap in booking ownership, passenger communication or dispatch traceability.
Accept
Record the booking through an authorised Black Fleet London channel.
Control
Maintain authority over confirmation, allocation and material change.
Trace
Identify every person and organisation involved in fulfilment.
Evidence
Preserve records for complaints, audit and TfL inspection.
Regulatory Framework
Records maintained in line with London private hire requirements.
Black Fleet London applies the booking and operator-record requirements relevant to its TfL licence, including the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, supporting regulations, applicable licence conditions, the TfL Private Hire Operator’s Handbook and current inspection guidance.
Records must be sufficiently clear and complete to allow an authorised person to understand how a booking was accepted and fulfilled.
Regulatory controls include
- A system for accepting and recording bookings
- Required booking particulars
- Driver and vehicle allocation records
- Identification of booking and dispatch personnel
- Passenger booking-confirmation information
- Subcontracting and operating-partner records
- Retention and inspection availability
- Protection against unauthorised alteration
Authorised Booking Channels
Every journey must enter through a controlled operator channel.
Drivers and suppliers must not privately accept a Black Fleet London passenger’s future booking. A private hire booking must be accepted through the licensed operator rather than directly by an individual chauffeur.
Operator-assisted booking
A booking entered by authorised staff following telephone, email or direct client communication.
Corporate account
Journeys requested by an approved account contact under agreed commercial arrangements.
Partner booking
Work received from another authorised organisation and recorded through the Black Fleet London operation.
No chauffeur-side booking acceptance
A chauffeur may receive operational instructions for an existing booking, but must not independently accept, price or confirm a new private hire journey outside the authorised operator process.
Booking Record Requirements
Sufficient detail to reconstruct the accepted journey.
Each booking record should capture the information required by law and the additional operational information reasonably necessary to deliver the agreed chauffeur service.
Records should be completed accurately and not populated with placeholder information where the true details are known or reasonably obtainable.
Core booking particulars
- Booking reference
- Date and time the booking request was received
- Passenger and booker details where applicable
- Requested pickup date and time
- Pickup location and destination
- Relevant stops, flight or journey information
- Quoted fare or agreed charging arrangement
- Name or identity of the person accepting the booking
Operational Booking Information
Service requirements recorded before allocation.
Premium, Business, First, Business MPV, Luxury SUV or another agreed service category.
Number of passengers, luggage and any relevant capacity limitations.
Flight number, terminal, arrival information and meet-and-greet requirements where relevant.
Operationally necessary passenger contact information and preferred meeting method.
Mobility, assistance, communication or reasonable-adjustment requirements.
Age-related, seating, accompaniment and authorised-handover information where applicable.
Booked hours, included mileage and relevant itinerary or standby instructions.
Reasonable service instructions affecting collection, communication, confidentiality or delivery.
Quoted, awaiting payment, paid, account-authorised, cancelled, refunded or otherwise resolved.
Passenger Information Control
Operational access limited to what each role genuinely needs.
Black Fleet London may hold information about the client who books and the passenger who travels. These roles may be different and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Passenger information disclosed during allocation should be limited to the information required to complete the journey safely and effectively.
Mandatory access restrictions
- Client and booker email addresses are not disclosed to chauffeurs
- Passenger contact details are withheld until operationally required
- Contact information is released only after authorised allocation
- Suppliers receive no unrelated client-account information
- Payment-card information is not included in dispatch instructions
- Sensitive notes are restricted according to role and necessity
- Journey information must not be used for direct marketing
Booking Validation
Material details reviewed before confirmation and allocation.
Date and time
Confirm that the requested date, time zone and pickup time are reasonably clear.
Route
Check that collection, stops and destination are sufficiently identified.
Capacity
Ensure the selected class can carry the stated passengers and luggage.
Price
Record the quoted amount, agreed charging basis or account arrangement.
Flight details
Check flight number, airport and terminal for airport collections.
Contactability
Ensure a usable client or passenger contact route is available.
Special requirements
Identify accessibility, child, safeguarding or service-specific needs.
Payment status
Distinguish confirmed payment from an unpaid booking request or quotation.
Client Booking Confirmation
Confirmation reflects what Black Fleet London has accepted.
A booking confirmation should enable the client to identify the journey, operator and principal terms without relying on informal messages from a chauffeur or supplier.
Material changes should be communicated through an authorised Black Fleet London channel and reflected in the central record.
Confirmation information may include
- Black Fleet London identity and contact route
- Booking reference
- Pickup date, time and location
- Destination and agreed stops
- Selected vehicle or service class
- Agreed fare or charging arrangement
- Applicable waiting or cancellation terms
- Material passenger instructions recorded
Payment and Confirmation Status
A booking request and a paid confirmed booking are not the same.
Black Fleet London records the commercial state of each booking so that operational personnel do not assume payment merely because a form or booking request exists.
Where card payment is required, confirmation should follow verified payment status or another expressly authorised arrangement.
Example booking states
- Draft or quotation
- Awaiting client confirmation
- Awaiting payment
- Paid and confirmed
- Corporate account authorised
- Payment failed or unresolved
- Cancelled or declined
- Refunded or financially adjusted
Client Record
Bookings linked to the correct client or account
Where reasonably possible, bookings should be associated with the relevant client or corporate account so that communication, contractual terms and service history remain coherent.
Similar names or contact details must not be used as the sole basis for merging unrelated client records.
Passenger Record
The traveller may be different from the person booking
A corporate assistant, travel arranger, family member or partner may make the booking for another passenger.
The record should distinguish the client or booker from the travelling passenger and avoid exposing the booker’s information unnecessarily.
Driver and Vehicle Allocation
Allocation only after suitability, compliance and availability checks.
A booking should be assigned to the actual authorised driver and vehicle intended to deliver it. Supplier-level approval does not create blanket approval for every connected driver or vehicle.
Black Fleet London’s central allocation process supports compliance checks, availability control, conflict prevention and a traceable assignment history.
Allocation checks
- Current driver eligibility
- Current vehicle eligibility
- Hire-and-reward insurance
- Driver-to-vehicle authority
- Vehicle class, passenger and luggage capacity
- Availability and conflicting booking assessment
- Accessibility or contract-specific requirements
- Active restrictions or unresolved incidents
Availability and Overlap Prevention
One driver and vehicle cannot responsibly cover conflicting bookings.
Black Fleet London checks existing assignments and appropriate journey buffers before final allocation. The control considers more than identical pickup times; it also considers the likely duration and positioning needed between bookings.
Existing jobs
Review active and future bookings already assigned to the driver.
Journey duration
Consider expected service duration rather than pickup time alone.
Positioning time
Allow sufficient travel and preparation time before the next collection.
Airport uncertainty
Consider flight delays, immigration, luggage and waiting exposure.
No manual bypass without accountability
Where an authorised person overrides or resolves an apparent conflict, the reason should be supportable and the final allocation must remain safe, realistic and fully documented.
Assignment Offer and Acceptance
An offered assignment is not final allocation until accepted and confirmed.
Black Fleet London may offer a booking to an eligible driver or licensed operating partner. The recipient should review the relevant assignment details before accepting.
Acceptance confirms that the recipient has suitable availability, capacity and lawful operating resources to fulfil the assignment as communicated.
Assignment-control stages
- Eligible resource identified
- Controlled job offer issued
- Driver or operator accepts or declines
- Compliance and conflict checks completed
- Final allocation recorded
- Passenger allocation notice issued
- Journey becomes available through the appropriate portal
Passenger Allocation Notice
Passengers should know who and what is authorised to collect them.
Following final allocation, Black Fleet London issues or makes available relevant driver and vehicle information in accordance with TfL requirements and the applicable booking arrangement.
Where the allocated driver or vehicle changes, updated information should be issued rather than expecting the passenger to accept an unidentified substitute.
Allocation information may include
- Booking reference
- Driver’s full name
- Driver photograph where required and available
- Driver private hire licence or badge information
- Vehicle make, model and colour
- Vehicle registration
- Relevant private hire vehicle licence details
- Black Fleet London contact route
Subcontracting Control
Bookings passed only to an approved licensed operator.
Black Fleet London may use an approved licensed private hire operator to support fulfilment where the arrangement is lawful and appropriately controlled.
The central booking record must identify the subcontracted operator and, where required, the actual driver and vehicle used to deliver the service.
Subcontracting requirements
- Verify the receiving operator’s licence
- Record the operator’s legal identity
- Record when and why the booking was transferred
- Limit information to the fulfilment need
- Prohibit unauthorised onward subcontracting
- Obtain actual driver and vehicle details
- Preserve Black Fleet London’s client communication
- Retain complaint and incident cooperation rights
No informal driver-to-driver transfer
A driver must not pass a Black Fleet London assignment directly to another driver. Any replacement must return to Black Fleet London or the authorised licensed operator for compliance review and formal reallocation.
Replacement and Reallocation
Service continuity without losing compliance or traceability.
Where an assigned driver, vehicle or operating partner can no longer complete a booking, Black Fleet London controls the replacement rather than leaving the passenger exposed to an informal substitute.
01
Notify
Report the issue and reason without unnecessary delay.
02
Protect
Maintain service coverage while avoiding unsafe double allocation.
03
Identify
Select a suitable compliant replacement resource.
04
Verify
Repeat compliance, capacity and availability checks.
05
Update
Replace the allocation while preserving the previous history.
06
Inform
Issue revised passenger allocation information where required.
Unassignment Control
Removal of an allocation requires a recorded reason.
A confirmed assignment should not disappear from the operational record without explanation. Unassignment must preserve the previous allocation and record who initiated the change and why.
Repeated late withdrawal, avoidable replacement or unexplained unassignment may trigger supplier-performance review.
Unassignment record
- Previous driver and vehicle
- Date and time of removal
- Person authorising the change
- Operational reason or supplier explanation
- Passenger impact
- Replacement action taken
- Supplier warning or follow-up where appropriate
Journey Status Control
Status updates must represent events that have actually occurred.
Journey statuses support passenger communication, operational oversight, safety, complaint investigation and service reporting. They must not be updated early merely to create an appearance of punctuality.
On My Way
The driver has commenced travel towards the collection point.
On Location
The driver has reached the correct collection area and is ready.
Passenger On Board
The passenger has entered the vehicle and the journey has commenced.
Trip Ended
The booked transport service has been completed or formally closed.
Airport and Arrival Control
Flight information supports dispatch but does not replace the booking record.
Airport collections should include sufficient flight and terminal information for monitoring, meeting preparation and waiting-time management.
The operational record should distinguish scheduled arrival, actual landing, driver arrival, passenger contact, meeting and departure.
Airport controls
- Verify airport and flight number
- Check terminal information
- Monitor available flight status
- Follow the confirmed meet-and-greet arrangement
- Record passenger-contact attempts
- Record waiting and collection status
- Escalate unresolved no-contact situations
Amendments and Change Control
Material changes recorded without erasing the original instruction.
Booking information may change after confirmation. The record should show the revised instruction and maintain an appropriate history of the change.
Time change
Record the old and new pickup time and who requested the amendment.
Route change
Update collection, destination or stops and assess price and feasibility.
Passenger change
Update the travelling passenger while protecting the original client record.
Vehicle change
Reassess class, capacity, accessibility, allocation and client expectation.
Price change
Record the revised amount and client authorisation where required.
Flight change
Update the new flight, terminal or arrival information.
Requirement change
Record new assistance, child-seat, luggage or passenger-care needs.
Allocation effect
Recheck whether the existing driver and vehicle remain suitable.
Cancellation Control
Cancellation closes the service but does not delete the booking history.
A cancelled booking remains part of the operator record. The record should identify when cancellation occurred, who requested or authorised it and the resulting operational and financial action.
Drivers and operating partners should be informed promptly so that a cancelled journey is not delivered accidentally.
Cancellation record
- Booking reference
- Cancellation date and time
- Person requesting or authorising cancellation
- Reason where provided
- Applicable cancellation terms
- Driver and supplier notification
- Refund, charge or account adjustment
- Final booking status
Passenger No-Show and No-Contact
No-show status supported by time, location and contact evidence.
A booking should not be closed as a no-show merely because the passenger was not immediately visible. The correct meeting procedure, waiting time and approved contact attempts should be followed.
Additional welfare consideration may be required where the passenger is a child, vulnerable adult or person known to need assistance.
No-show evidence may include
- Driver arrival time
- Correct collection location
- Name-board or meeting method used
- Passenger call or message attempts
- Operations-team contact attempts
- Waiting period completed
- Authorisation to leave or close the booking
Incident Linking
Operational incidents connected to the relevant booking
A collision, breakdown, complaint, lost-property report, safeguarding concern or data incident should be linked to the booking and actual service participants involved.
The booking record should not be altered to hide or minimise an incident.
Evidence Preservation
Records protected when a journey is questioned
Relevant allocation, communication, payment, status and supplier records should be preserved where a complaint, dispute or regulatory enquiry is reasonably anticipated.
No person may delete, fabricate or retrospectively manipulate material booking information.
Audit History
Material actions should identify who changed what and when.
Black Fleet London’s operating framework is designed to maintain an appropriate history of significant booking, allocation, replacement, status and cancellation activity.
Audit history supports accountability, complaint investigation, client reporting, supplier management and TfL inspection.
Auditable actions may include
- Booking creation and source
- Material field amendments
- Payment or confirmation status changes
- Driver and vehicle allocation
- Acceptance or decline
- Unassignment and replacement
- Journey-status changes
- Cancellation and closure
Record Security
Booking information protected against loss, misuse and unauthorised access.
Booking records may contain passenger identity, contact, itinerary, location, payment and special-requirement information. Access should be restricted according to role and operational necessity.
Staff, suppliers and drivers must use authorised systems and must not export or retain booking information for personal use.
Security controls
- Role-based operator, driver and client access
- Controlled authentication and session management
- Limited disclosure to assigned service participants
- No sharing of passwords or access links
- Protection of exported or downloaded records
- Prompt removal of former-user access
- Incident reporting for unauthorised access or disclosure
System Disruption and Continuity
Booking control continues if a primary system becomes unavailable.
A technical outage must not result in uncontrolled dispatch, unidentified substitutions or the loss of active booking information.
Temporary continuity records should be reconciled into the central booking system after service restoration.
Continuity priorities
- Protect active and imminent bookings
- Preserve passenger and allocation details securely
- Maintain an authorised communication route
- Record temporary manual dispatch decisions
- Prevent duplicate or conflicting allocation
- Reconcile temporary records after restoration
- Review the incident and corrective action
Record Retention
Booking and dispatch records retained for regulatory and operational need.
Black Fleet London retains booking and related operator records for at least the period required by applicable London private hire regulations.
Certain records may be retained longer where reasonably necessary for accounting, taxation, complaints, insurance, litigation, safeguarding, client contracts or another lawful purpose.
Retention considerations
- TfL operator-record requirements
- Complaint and lost-property obligations
- Financial and tax records
- Insurance and collision matters
- Corporate-client contractual requirements
- Safeguarding or regulatory investigations
- Data-minimisation and secure deletion
TfL Inspection Readiness
Records available for inspection throughout the licence period.
Black Fleet London is checked and reviewed for compliance by Transport for London annually as part of its regulatory experience and remains subject to further announced or unannounced inspection.
The company maintains its booking and dispatch controls continuously so that records do not depend on the presence of one individual or last-minute preparation for an inspection.
TfL may examine
- Booking records and chronology
- Booking-taker and dispatcher identification
- Passenger and journey particulars
- Quoted fare information
- Driver and vehicle allocation
- Subcontracted operator records
- Booking-confirmation processes
- Record access, retention and integrity controls
Records must reflect operational reality
A complete-looking record is not compliant if it identifies the wrong driver, vehicle, operator, passenger, time or journey. Accuracy and traceability take priority over administrative appearance.
Monitoring and Internal Review
Controls tested against real bookings and operational events.
Record completeness
Whether required booking and allocation fields are present.
Confirmation accuracy
Whether client communications match the accepted booking.
Allocation accuracy
Whether the recorded driver and vehicle actually delivered the journey.
Conflict controls
Whether overlapping or unrealistic allocations were prevented.
Replacement records
Whether substitutions remained authorised and traceable.
Status integrity
Whether journey statuses were timely and factually supportable.
Data access
Whether passenger information was limited to the operational need.
Audit closure
Whether identified deficiencies resulted in verified corrective action.
Record Nonconformity
Missing or inaccurate records corrected without concealing the failure.
Where a booking record is incomplete, incorrect or inconsistent, the immediate priority is to protect the passenger and establish the true operational position.
Corrections should remain distinguishable from the original entry where audit history or legal obligations require this.
Corrective response
- Identify the affected booking
- Establish the actual operational facts
- Protect active passenger service
- Correct inaccurate information transparently
- Preserve evidence of the original record
- Identify process or training causes
- Apply supplier or access restrictions where appropriate
- Verify that corrective action is effective
Roles and Accountability
Clear ownership from booking acceptance to journey closure.
01
Director
Owns the policy, oversees TfL compliance and determines material regulatory, system and supplier action.
02
Booking and operations personnel
Create accurate records, issue confirmations, manage allocation and preserve material changes.
03
Licensed operating partners
Provide accurate fulfilment details, prevent unauthorised substitution and cooperate with record requests.
04
Chauffeurs
Review assigned details, report discrepancies and update journey status accurately.
Training and Access
Booking privileges limited to authorised personnel
Personnel who accept, amend or dispatch bookings should understand the required records, passenger-information restrictions, allocation controls and escalation routes relevant to their duties.
User access should be removed or amended when a person’s duties or relationship with Black Fleet London changes.
Policy Review
Reviewed annually and following material operational change
This policy should be reviewed at least annually and following a material TfL inspection finding, system implementation, serious booking failure, regulatory development or change to the operating model.
Changes may affect required fields, confirmation methods, allocation controls, audit records, retention or user permissions.
The booking record protects everyone
A reliable record protects the passenger, client, chauffeur, supplier and licensed operator. It provides evidence of what was requested, agreed, communicated and delivered—and allows Black Fleet London to act quickly when something changes.
Related Governance
Booking control connected to wider operator assurance.
Driver and Vehicle Compliance Policy
Licensing, insurance, eligibility and allocation controls.
Data Protection Policy
Lawful processing and protection of booking and passenger information.
Information Security Policy
Access control, account security, incident response and system protection.
Business Continuity Policy
System disruption, replacement capacity and controlled service recovery.
Supplier Code of Conduct
Acceptance, substitution, confidentiality and reporting standards.
Quality Management Policy
Record control, internal review, corrective action and improvement.
Corporate and Compliance Assurance
Need information about our booking and dispatch controls?
Corporate clients and prospective partners may contact Black Fleet London regarding operator licensing, booking governance, allocation controls, passenger confirmations, subcontracting or proportionate compliance evidence.