Addison Lee will spend £7.5 million to improve driver skills, awareness and safety, while continuing to work with Transport for London (TfL) to raise standards in the sector.

Andy Boland, CEO at Addison Lee, said: “While our drivers already set the standard for safety and reliability, we are committed to continuously improving our service to make it even better.

“We care about our customers’ journeys as much as they do, and this new investment will ensure our drivers can continue to go the extra mile to provide the service our customers expect.”

The five-year programme is part of the “Going the Extra Mile” scheme launched by Addison Lee in June 2016 to improve its already market-leading reliability and safety standards.

The scheme includes the in-house Diploma course that is offered to all drivers and is equivalent to an NVQ Level III. The training emphasises continuous improvement and includes a monitoring programme to ensure that the increased standards are met. The programme will also work hand-in-hand with Transport for London’s efforts to raise standards in the private hire industry.

Boland added: “No other business is investing on this scale to train its drivers. Our training allows our drivers to not only improve their service but also make best use of the latest technology in our cars.

“Our commitment to raising the bar extends not only to remaining at the forefront of training for our drivers but also supporting the efforts of TfL to do the same across the industry.”

Current training includes modules on equality and diversity, cycle safety, disabled access and on working with the latest technology installed in the vehicles. Investment will also include a 2017 move of the training headquarters to a new bespoke training school in Hayes, West London, equipped with the latest in learning technology and support for increased e-learning.