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L'pool set to take PHD tests in-house after cheating claims
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Author:  StuartW [ Fri Jul 26, 2019 7:57 am ]
Post subject:  L'pool set to take PHD tests in-house after cheating claims

Council takeover of private hire taxi tests 'would end alleged cheating'

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... r-16648149

At a council meeting, concerns were raised about the assessment of the city's private hire drivers

Plans for Liverpool Council to take sole control of tests for the city's private hire drivers would solve any "alleged corruption" in the process, a meeting has heard.

Liverpool introduced testing requirements for drivers from 2011 to try to ensure the quality of drivers, with testing currently carried out by four bodies. Currently the tests are carried out by Unite the Union, Alpha Cars, Excel Compliance and Antrec.

However a new set of proposals heard at yesterday's licensing committee would see the council take sole control of the 'street knowledge test', and two attendees at the meeting said the move could help rumoured cheating on the test.

The proposals say: "To absolutely ensure this Test is delivered, invigilated and marked in a way which is 100% to the satisfaction of the City Council in terms of integrity, it is proposed that the City Council’s officers resume responsibility for the administration of the Test."

The report also says that in 2017 a whistleblower expressed "concerns over the integrity of the training delivery of an approved provider which highlighted the high pass rate and lack of an independent invigilator".

And Councillor Pauline Walton said she had heard rumours of people paying others to take tests for them under the current system.

She said: "I have heard rumours about one particular person taking tests for other people.

"There is no evidence for that but I have heard rumours about it.

"I really hope that this consultation comes back and supports us taking assessments back in house."

Sharon Hanson of Village Taxis, a private hire taxi company, said the council taking control of assessments would tackle any poor drivers and 'alleged corruption' in the assessment process.

She said: "We strongly support it going back in house.

"We personally feel that the quality of drivers has dropped significantly over the past few years.

"We turned two drivers away recently because their English was not good enough so that we could understand them in the office so how can we expect customers to get into a car and feel fully comfortable."

She said the drivers in question did have the required assessments.

She said: "If it does go back in house it will eliminate the 'alleged corruption' of people supposedly going and taking tests for other people."

The new proposals would also see the test beefed up with new numerical and English language sections.

The proposals will now go out to consultation before the licensing committee make a decision on adopting them.

According to the report, every other local authority in the region directly administers their driver assessments.

Author:  StuartW [ Fri Jul 26, 2019 7:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: L'pool set to take PHD tests in-house after cheating cla

Sharon Hanson of Village Taxis wrote:
"We turned two drivers away recently because their English was not good enough so that we could understand them in the office so how can we expect customers to get into a car and feel fully comfortable."


Really just the same as the sentiments expressed by Mrs Cardy in Wales the other day, but a bit more diplomatically.

But I doubt the reaction will be the same in this case.

Author:  Sussex [ Fri Jul 26, 2019 7:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: L'pool set to take PHD tests in-house after cheating cla

Quote:
The report also says that in 2017 a whistleblower expressed "concerns over the integrity of the training delivery of an approved provider which highlighted the high pass rate and lack of an independent invigilator".

Who would have thought? :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

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