Assistive Listening Knowledge Base
  • Regulatory guidance (taxi licensing requirements)

Guidelines for Induction Loop Hearing Systems installed in licensed London Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) (Vehicle Policy V1)

From https://assistivelisteningknowledgebase.org/evidence/tfl-2020-taxi-loop-guidelines/ · record checked 13 October 2026

  • Transport for London, London Taxi and Private Hire
  • Transport for London (published with its reply to freedom of information request FOI-0992-2122)

Government (Transport for London, the licensing authority for London taxis and private hire vehicles)

Summary

Transport for London's requirements for the induction loops that every licensed London taxi must have, with a performance standard, a test at every seat and a certificate form.

Key findings

  • States that all taxis licensed by TfL must have an approved induction loop hearing system, that the driver's microphone for talking with telecoil users must be active whenever the vehicle operates as a London taxi and be placed as close as possible to the talking position, and that signs must show that a loop is installed.
  • Gives the reasons: hearing aid users struggle when ambient noise is high, as in a moving vehicle, and when a screen separates driver and passenger, which it calls "an inherent feature of London style taxis". It adds that vehicles complicate assistive listening through electromagnetic compatibility, magnetic interference from other equipment and vehicle components, vibration, temperature changes and metal in the structure.
  • Requires installed systems to meet IEC 60118-4:2014+AMD1:2017 and test and record data according to BS EN 62489-1, and asks taxi manufacturers for test results, a certificate of conformity, a wiring diagram, field-strength coverage diagrams and background-noise readings.
  • Says testing should be taken and recorded at all seating positions. Its certificate form rates magnetic background noise (all readings below -32 dB(A) as the best band), field strength at 1 kHz (0 dB ±6 dB), frequency response at 100 Hz and 5 kHz (within ±3 dB of 1 kHz), a listening test for hum, distortion and clarity, and live-speech peaks, and grades the result as pass, limited pass or fail.
  • Says TfL may test loops at the annual licensing inspection or at other times, and that a taxi found not to follow the guidelines may not be licensed or may have its licence suspended.
  • Does not mention Bluetooth, Auracast or other systems.
  • Section 3.2 names BS EN 62489-1:2010+A2:2018 for testing and recording. Section 4.2 says testing should be taken and recorded at all seating positions. Section 2.6 requires nationally accepted signs or notices in agreed locations within the taxi indicating that a loop is installed and available.

Limits

Version 1 of a TfL policy document, published with a TfL reply to a freedom of information request; whether a later version exists was not checked. It sets requirements and a test form but reports no test results, failure rates or passenger feedback. The general requirement names taxis; private hire vehicles appear in the title and the testing clauses.

Read the original

foi.tfl.gov.uk/FOI-0992-2122/guidelines-for-induction-loop-hearing-systems.pdf

Link checked . We link to the original and do not host copies.

Cited in

Cite this source

Transport for London, London Taxi and Private Hire. Guidelines for Induction Loop Hearing Systems installed in licensed London Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) (Vehicle Policy V1). Transport for London (published with its reply to freedom of information request FOI-0992-2122). 26 February 2020. https://foi.tfl.gov.uk/FOI-0992-2122/guidelines-for-induction-loop-hearing-systems.pdf (accessed 13 October 2026).

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