Collision
Contact involving another vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist, object or property, whether damage is visible or not.
TfL Licensed Private Hire Operator
Incident, Accident and Emergency Response Policy.
Black Fleet London maintains a controlled response framework for road collisions, passenger emergencies, vehicle defects, breakdowns, security incidents and other events that may affect passenger safety or service continuity.
Black Fleet London Ltd is licensed by Transport for London as a private hire operator. Passenger safety takes priority over journey completion, punctuality, vehicle protection and commercial considerations.
Purpose
A clear response when normal journey delivery is disrupted.
The purpose of this policy is to define the immediate safety, communication, evidence, replacement, insurance and review procedures that apply following an incident connected with a Black Fleet London booking.
It applies whether the event occurs before pickup, during passenger transport, while waiting, at the destination or during positioning for an allocated journey.
Scope of this policy
- Road traffic collisions and vehicle contact
- Passenger injury or medical emergency
- Vehicle breakdown and immobilisation
- Warning lights, defects and roadworthiness concerns
- Fire, smoke, flood or electrical hazard
- Security threats and criminal incidents
- Lost or separated passengers
- Operational replacement and service recovery
Overriding Principle
Protect people first. Stabilise the situation. Report accurately.
A chauffeur must not continue a journey merely to avoid delay, financial loss or operational inconvenience where the passenger, vehicle or public may be exposed to danger.
Protect
Remove people from immediate danger where it is safe to do so.
Call
Contact emergency services where life, injury or public safety is at risk.
Inform
Notify Black Fleet London immediately when safe.
Record
Preserve factual evidence without admitting liability.
Event Classification
Different events require different responses.
The initial report should identify the actual event type rather than describing every disruption as an accident.
Breakdown
Mechanical, electrical, battery, tyre or software failure preventing safe movement or continued service.
Vehicle defect
A warning, fault or damage that may affect roadworthiness even where the vehicle remains capable of moving.
Medical emergency
Passenger or chauffeur illness, injury, loss of consciousness or other urgent health concern.
Security incident
Threat, assault, theft, criminal damage, suspicious behaviour or danger involving the passenger or vehicle.
Fire or smoke
Fire, burning smell, battery thermal event, smoke or suspected fuel or electrical hazard.
Passenger welfare incident
Distress, safeguarding concern, unsafe destination, incapacity or inability to locate or hand over the passenger safely.
Near miss
An event that caused no actual injury or damage but exposed passengers or others to significant risk.
Immediate Emergency Action
Call 999 where there is immediate danger, serious injury or suspected crime in progress.
EMERGENCY 01
Protect the scene
Stop safely, switch off the vehicle where appropriate and move passengers away from immediate traffic, fire or other danger where safe.
EMERGENCY 02
Call emergency services
Request police, ambulance or fire and rescue assistance. Provide the location, number of people involved and known hazards.
EMERGENCY 03
Follow instructions
Follow emergency-service instructions and provide assistance only within personal competence and without creating further danger.
Do not contact operations before emergency services where delay could endanger life
Black Fleet London should be informed as soon as it is safe, but an emergency call must not be delayed to report internally, protect the booking or seek permission.
Road Traffic Collision
Stop, secure the situation and complete the required exchange.
The chauffeur must stop following a collision and must not leave the scene without completing the legally required steps or following police instructions.
Where possible, the vehicle should be moved to a position of relative safety before details and evidence are collected.
Immediate collision procedure
- Stop immediately and activate hazard warning lights
- Assess injuries and immediate danger
- Call emergency services where required
- Move to relative safety where lawful and safe
- Do not admit blame or liability
- Exchange the required driver and vehicle information
- Notify Black Fleet London immediately when safe
- Do not continue the booking without operational approval
Information and Evidence
Preserve facts without confrontation or speculation.
Record the name, address and contact information of every relevant driver.
Record registration marks, makes, models, colour and apparent ownership information.
Exchange or record relevant insurance information where available and legally required.
Obtain witness names, telephone numbers and addresses without coaching their account.
Photograph all vehicles, registration plates and damage from several safe angles.
Capture the road layout, signs, signals, markings, debris and relevant environmental conditions.
Record the time, weather, lighting, traffic and direction of travel.
Record who was travelling and whether anyone reported injury or distress.
Preserve officer details, incident numbers, crime references or other official references provided.
No admission of liability
A chauffeur may confirm facts and express concern for those involved but must not admit responsibility, negotiate settlement, offer payment or sign an account prepared by another party without appropriate advice.
Police Notification
Report where required and obtain a reference.
The chauffeur must contact police immediately where there is serious danger, suspected criminal activity, an uninsured driver, threatening behaviour or another circumstance requiring urgent police attendance.
Where required information was not exchanged at the scene, the collision must be reported to police as soon as reasonably practicable and within the applicable legal deadline.
Police contact may be necessary where
- There is immediate danger or serious injury
- A driver fails to stop
- Required details cannot be exchanged
- A driver appears uninsured or impaired
- Threats, assault or criminal damage occur
- The collision causes a serious obstruction or hazard
- Police attendance is requested by emergency services
- A legal reporting obligation otherwise applies
Passenger Care After an Incident
Keep passengers informed, protected and supported.
Passengers may be injured, frightened, delayed or stranded following an incident. The chauffeur must communicate calmly and must not minimise a reported injury or pressure a passenger to continue.
Black Fleet London should establish the passenger’s immediate needs and arrange a proportionate response.
Passenger response standards
- Check whether anyone is injured or distressed
- Call medical assistance where required
- Move passengers to a safer location where appropriate
- Keep passengers away from traffic and vehicle hazards
- Explain the immediate next steps honestly
- Do not discuss or debate liability
- Arrange suitable replacement transport where possible
- Record any passenger statement about injury or property damage
Passenger Medical Emergency
Stop safely and request professional medical support.
Where a passenger becomes seriously unwell, loses consciousness, has difficulty breathing, suffers a seizure or displays another urgent symptom, the chauffeur must stop safely and call emergency services.
The chauffeur should not attempt treatment beyond their competence and should follow the emergency call handler’s instructions.
Medical emergency procedure
- Stop in the safest available location
- Call 999 and provide the exact location
- Describe symptoms accurately
- Follow emergency-service instructions
- Do not give medication unless directed and authorised
- Keep access clear for responders
- Notify Black Fleet London when safe
- Record the timeline and action taken
Breakdown and Immobilisation
A breakdown is an operational event, not automatically an insured collision.
Mechanical, electrical, tyre, charging, battery and software failures should be treated separately from accidental damage and must be reported accurately.
The chauffeur must not attempt an unsafe roadside repair or continue driving a vehicle that may be unroadworthy.
Breakdown procedure
- Move to a safe location where possible
- Activate hazard warning lights
- Protect passengers from passing traffic
- Contact Black Fleet London immediately
- Contact the applicable breakdown provider or vehicle owner
- Provide the location and fault symptoms
- Do not clear or reset serious warnings merely to continue
- Arrange replacement transport where required
No assumption of insurance cover
Mechanical, electrical and software breakdown may be excluded under a motor policy. Recovery, repair and replacement decisions must therefore follow the applicable vehicle, rental, warranty, breakdown and insurance arrangements.
Warning Lights and Vehicle Defects
Safety-critical warnings create an immediate allocation block.
A chauffeur must report any warning, vibration, steering problem, brake concern, tyre damage, overheating, smoke, fluid loss or abnormal vehicle behaviour that could affect safety.
A vehicle must remain unavailable until the concern has been assessed and the vehicle is confirmed safe and legally roadworthy.
Hard-block indicators include
- Brake-system or steering warning
- Engine warning accompanied by shaking or power loss
- Tyre damage, pressure loss or exposed reinforcement
- Smoke, burning smell or overheating
- Battery or high-voltage safety warning
- Inoperative required lights or wipers
- Damaged seat belt, door or passenger restraint
- Any defect making continued use unsafe or unlawful
Electric Vehicle Incidents
Additional controls for charging, battery and high-voltage risks.
Range planning
Confirm sufficient charge for positioning, waiting, the journey and a reasonable operational reserve.
Charging fault
Do not use visibly damaged charging cables, sockets or equipment.
Battery warning
Stop and seek advice where a high-voltage, overheating or battery safety warning appears.
Fire or thermal event
Evacuate passengers, move well away from the vehicle and call fire and rescue services immediately.
Do not attempt high-voltage intervention
Chauffeurs must not open, disconnect, repair or interfere with an electric vehicle’s traction battery or high-voltage components. Qualified emergency, recovery or technical personnel must manage the hazard.
Fire, Smoke and Dangerous Substances
Evacuate immediately and maintain a safe distance.
Any visible fire, smoke, strong burning smell, fuel leak, chemical spill or suspected battery thermal event requires immediate passenger evacuation and emergency-service contact.
Required action
- Stop and switch off where safe
- Evacuate every passenger
- Move everyone well away from the vehicle
- Call 999 and identify the vehicle type
- Warn others away from the hazard
- Do not return for luggage or property
- Do not touch damaged high-voltage components
- Follow fire and rescue instructions
Security and Criminal Incidents
Avoid confrontation and protect the passenger.
Security incidents may include assault, threats, theft, robbery, unauthorised vehicle access, criminal damage, suspicious packages or deliberate obstruction.
Chauffeurs should not pursue suspects or create further danger in order to recover property.
Security response
- Move the passenger away from immediate danger
- Call police where required
- Do not confront an armed or violent person
- Preserve descriptions, direction of travel and vehicle details
- Protect relevant video, messages and photographs
- Notify Black Fleet London promptly
- Obtain and retain a police or crime reference
- Do not publish the incident on social media
Internal Notification
Every material event must be reported immediately.
Chauffeurs and operating partners must not wait until the end of the journey or next business day to report a collision, passenger injury, breakdown, defect or security incident.
The initial report may be brief, but it must enable operations to protect the passenger, stop further allocations and preserve evidence.
Initial report should identify
- Booking reference
- Exact location and time
- Nature of the incident
- Whether passengers are present
- Known injuries or welfare concerns
- Whether emergency services are attending
- Whether the vehicle can move safely
- Whether replacement transport is required
Insurance Notification
Notify the correct insurer within the applicable policy deadline.
The responsible vehicle owner, insured driver or licensed operating partner must report the event to the applicable insurer or broker in accordance with their own policy conditions.
An incident should be reported even where the driver believes another party was entirely responsible or no claim is presently intended.
Insurance controls
- Identify the policy applying to the actual driver and vehicle
- Report within the specified policy deadline
- Do not assume Black Fleet London’s policy covers a supplier vehicle
- Do not admit liability or negotiate settlement
- Forward correspondence and claims documents promptly
- Do not authorise repair work expected under a claim without approval
- Cooperate with reasonable insurer enquiries
- Record the claim or notification reference
Twenty-four-hour internal control
Unless a shorter deadline applies, evidence that the responsible insurer or broker has been notified should be provided to Black Fleet London within 24 hours of a collision or relevant third-party incident.
Replacement Transport
Replacement is controlled by the operator—not arranged privately by the chauffeur.
Where the original vehicle cannot safely continue, Black Fleet London should assess whether a replacement chauffeur and vehicle can complete the journey.
The replacement must meet the relevant licensing, insurance, service class, capacity, accessibility and compliance requirements.
Replacement controls
- Operations approves the replacement
- Driver and vehicle documents remain valid
- Hire-and-reward insurance is verified
- Vehicle capacity meets passenger and luggage needs
- Accessibility requirements remain satisfied
- The replacement chauffeur receives necessary information only
- Client or booker email addresses are never disclosed
- The allocation change is retained in the audit history
Passenger information remains controlled
Only operationally necessary passenger contact information approved by Black Fleet London may be provided following final replacement allocation. Chauffeurs must never receive the client or booker’s email address.
Incident Record
One complete record connected to the booking, chauffeur and vehicle.
Journey data
Booking reference, route, passenger status and allocation history.
Incident data
Time, location, event type, injuries and immediate response.
Evidence
Photographs, witness details, messages and official references.
Outcome
Recovery, replacement, claim status and corrective action.
Required Record Content
Facts, evidence and decisions retained for review.
Connect the incident to the correct booking and passenger journey.
Record the actual chauffeur, vehicle, registration and supplying operator.
Record when the event occurred, was reported and was resolved.
Record injury, distress, delay, missed connection or other material impact.
Record attendance, reference numbers and instructions.
Record insurer, broker, notification time and claim reference.
Record the replacement decision, allocation and passenger communication.
Record when the vehicle was blocked and the evidence required for release.
Record findings, warnings, training, repairs and final closure.
Return to Service
No vehicle returns to allocation on verbal reassurance alone.
Following a collision, serious defect, fire, breakdown or safety warning, the vehicle remains blocked until sufficient evidence confirms that it is safe, roadworthy, licensed and insured.
Release evidence may include
- Repair invoice or engineer confirmation
- Roadworthiness or inspection evidence
- Valid MOT where required
- Updated insurance confirmation
- Current private-hire vehicle licence
- Photographs confirming repair completion
- Vehicle-owner or rental-company authorisation
- Operations approval recorded in the audit history
Driver and Supplier Review
Protective restriction may be applied before final findings.
Black Fleet London may temporarily restrict a chauffeur, vehicle or operating partner while a serious incident is reviewed.
A temporary restriction protects passengers and evidence. It does not by itself determine legal or insurance liability.
Review may consider
- Speed, distraction and driving behaviour
- Vehicle condition before the event
- Whether a warning or defect was ignored
- Accuracy and timing of the report
- Passenger care and communication
- Evidence preservation and insurer cooperation
- Previous related incidents or complaints
- Required training, warning or permanent restriction
Accuracy and Cooperation
Incident information must be truthful, complete and preserved.
Chauffeurs, vehicle owners and suppliers must cooperate with reasonable operational, police, licensing, insurer and legal enquiries.
Evidence must not be altered, deleted, fabricated or withheld.
Prohibited conduct
- Failing to report a material incident
- Deleting messages, images or journey records
- Giving a knowingly false account
- Concealing an injury or third-party involvement
- Continuing with an unsafe vehicle
- Arranging an unapproved private settlement
- Submitting altered or misleading insurance evidence
- Pressuring a passenger or witness to change their account
Incident Response Process
One controlled path from immediate danger to formal closure.
01
Protect
Stop safely and protect passengers and the public.
02
Escalate
Call emergency services where required.
03
Inform
Notify Black Fleet London immediately.
04
Preserve
Exchange details and retain evidence.
05
Recover
Support the passenger and arrange replacement.
06
Review
Complete insurance, compliance and corrective action.
Roles and Accountability
Clear responsibility throughout incident response.
01
Director
Oversees serious incidents, regulatory concerns, permanent restrictions and material corrective action.
02
Operations team
Coordinates passenger support, replacement, evidence, records and allocation restrictions.
03
Licensed operating partners
Ensure their chauffeur, vehicle owner and insurer complete all required actions and disclosures.
04
Chauffeurs
Protect passengers, call for help, report promptly, preserve evidence and follow instructions.
Training and Awareness
Response expectations understood before journey allocation
Relevant chauffeurs, operations personnel and operating partners should understand emergency calls, scene safety, collision evidence, passenger welfare, vehicle hard blocks and insurer notification.
Additional guidance may be required following an incident, near miss, complaint or identified reporting failure.
Policy Review
Reviewed against incident evidence and regulatory expectations
This policy should be reviewed at least annually and following a serious collision, passenger injury, emergency-service attendance, insurer dispute or recurring breakdown pattern.
Changes may affect allocation controls, emergency procedures, reporting, record retention and supplier eligibility.
Our incident-response principle
The quality of an incident response is measured by how effectively people are protected, facts are preserved, passengers are supported and the same risk is prevented from recurring.
Related Governance
Incident response supported by connected compliance controls.
Driver and Vehicle Compliance Policy
Licensing, insurance, roadworthiness and allocation eligibility.
Driver Conduct and Professional Standards Policy
Safe driving, mobile-phone restrictions and professional conduct.
Safeguarding and Passenger Welfare Policy
Vulnerable passengers, emergency escalation and protective action.
Health and Safety Policy
Risk assessment, prevention and occupational safety controls.
Complaints and Service Recovery Policy
Passenger communication, investigation and appropriate remedies.
Business Continuity and Service Resilience Policy
Operational disruption, replacement capacity and service recovery.
Passenger Safety
Report an incident connected with a Black Fleet London journey.
Where anyone is in immediate danger, call 999 first. For non-emergency journey incidents, contact Black Fleet London promptly and provide the booking reference, location and relevant facts.