Taxi Driver Online

not so sure about this either;

The full application pack for grant applications are not available online as these cannot be issued without an application request form and the fee of £30 (which is off-set against the full application fee) being submitted beforehand.

Hi Guys

Im Andy new here and need some help and advice urgently !

I held a licence within my authorities area being Tendring in Essex ( Main town is Clacton but I live and operated approx 15 miles away in Harwich ) for approx 15 years from 1989-2005, due to ill health at the time I relinquished my licence.

I am in the process of trying to regain my licence, since I let my licence go the local authority has introduced all sorts of new rules and regulations and I have jumped through all the hoops bar their new "Computer based multiple choice" Knowledge test, which through contacts still within the industry is ridiculously hard to pass and rumour has it that there have been very few licenses granted since its inception.

I stated to the councils licensing dept that I had heard that this was the case but nevertheless went to attempt it on 08/10/14.

Firstly the councils guidelines state that the test " Will be based on your knowledge of the roads shown on the list you will receive when you have submitted your application and which are in your chosen area of operation,but the examiner will expect you to have a reasonable knowledge of the district "
I have a first class knowledge of my area of operation and all major routes within the district that the council administers but have not got a clue about all the roads and streets within other areas of the councils jurisdiction, so this is my first area that I am in dispute with them over.

Secondly on the day of the test I began the test and it quickly became apparent that I would have no chance of passing the test based on the questions being asked of me ....Start at point A in Clacton,turn left,turn right,turn right again....which road would you now be in ? Multiple choice possibility for the answer !
When I got on to the questions that WERE in my area of operation,that I know like the back of my hand, it immediately became apparent that not only was the test unreasonably hard to pass but that the test was factually flawed, they were giving me instructions that were factually incorrect !
I stopped the test and had to search for someone to point out that the test was incorrect as I had been left alone to complete it, at first they denied that the test was wrong and insisted that I carry on, but I refused stating that I had lost faith in the integrity of the test, with this they disappeared, to return about 15 minutes later to announce that I was in fact correct and that the said question was fundamentally incorrect in its essence !
I left the building saying that I would be writing to them and that there was a potential for loss of earnings and also the potential that if the test was flawed then any past failures of the test could be deemed void.

Since writing to them, they took 14 days to reply, are denying that the test is flawed in any way and that because I made a suggestion that the test is unreasonably hard to pass, that I am trying to gain a licence without having to pass the knowledge test !

My situation is very dire, I have been unemployed for two to three years now and really Taxi driving is all i know and gotten into debt trying to get myself back into work, paying out for various fees etc so cant afford a solicitor to fight this for me, can anyone give me some advice on who, if anyone, may be able to give me some legal advice or representation for this please ?

If anyone can help it would be most appreciated !

Andy

The Ombudsman will not have the resources to look into it and before you can go to the ombudsman you have to first exhause the Councils own complaints procedure.

Best part of six months wait, and then I doubt your case will be a priority.

I advise you to not go that route.

don't you just love these love in's

Is it reasonable for them to require me to know every road,street in the other towns or just how to get to them ?

Wannabeahack.... It would be a piece of pi£s if the test was as it used to be and as it still outlines in the councils own guidelines " Your test will be based on your knowledge of the roads shown on the list you will recieve when you have submitted your application and which are in your chosen area of operation, but the examiner will expect you to have a REASONABLE knowledge of the district "
The "District" is made up of lots of towns miles apart, my area of operation is Harwich population 15500 and know this like the back of my hand and know all the major routes to the other towns and villages.
Is it reasonable for them to require me to know every road,street in the other towns or just how to get to them ?

In my previous 15 years ive never picked up in any of the other towns only taken people to them, the demographic is that there isnt a single rank in my home town its all telephone work and the occasional flag down.

And a knowledge test that requires me to know or potentially know every street in the LA's jurisdiction which would take forever to learn and be competent enough to pass!

In my previous 15 years id say pick ups were and still would be 99.9% in my own town but yes I would be licensed to go over to Clacton and ply for hire on the ranks there, not that I ever would or have done in the past, its got to the point where the public in my home town cant get a taxi past midnight and are forever complaining about a lack of a service here, cab firms cant get any drivers because the licence process is far too expensive and laborious, you are looking at around £500 and for that nothing is guaranteed ( I dont expect it to be but a knowledge test that is reasonable would help )

I passed the "suitability " test £30 100%

The new DVSA Taxi drivers driving test ( passed with only one minor fault not bad after 27 years driving ) £80 ( oh and had to go 45 miles to Chelmsford and wait a month before the test to get a test !

Medical £120

PATS £80 ( Passenger assistance training scheme that the LA insist on now ) Passed

CRB £40

And a knowledge test that requires me to know or potentially know every street in the LA's jurisdiction which would take forever to learn and be competent enough to pass! I would say that 95% of the drivers in the LA's jurisdiction are operating under grandfather rights and wouldnt have a hope if they had to sit the test as it now stands.

The firm that I would be working for are pulling thier hair out because they cant get anyone without my experience to go through it all let alone myself !

They say they want to bring it up to the standards of London but with due respect to all the London cabbies and how long it takes them to obtain and pass their knowledge this is not London, has nowhere near the earnings potential and half of Londons cabbies live here and travel up to the smoke to work ! Why ? Because its London and a completley different demographic alltogether !

Im getting to the stage now where il just carry on being a burden to the state and collect my housing benefit/ jobseekers allowance etc its not worth the time and study to learn something that I will never use !