Taxi Driver Online

Hi, everybody!

Like I have mentioned here before I was about to be ready for an encore in Brighton in January, yet spooked away from it the last minute. Well, no wonder basically, if you´d consider I would have to do the whole licencing procedure again and don´t really know how to finance it, this time.

Right now I feel very much inclined to come back again, (for it´s still so long to May when I would be able to start working in France, if I´d indeed stick to it) and did actually book at flight arriving on the 21st this month to have a look at the scene. Plus, I´ve contacted B&H HCO asking them to be generous on me.

The reason is, I wasn´t able to renew my licence in ´10, because at that time I didn´t hold a UK-driving licence, but a Swiss one. (The year before I could manage to renew it though I was no longer a UK-resident, but kept the UK-licence in order to do a renewal and exchanged it afterwards.)
The problem is apparently that I can´t hold the B&H cab-licence because of the required annual renewal, linked with UK-residency and driving licence, whilst living abroad.

Therefore, I have asked for an exception to that general rule for people like me.
There won´t be much anyway, maybe one in a thousand. It would mean that for those the licence would not expire for the time they are not UK-resident, if they would be able to show proof of that.
In a sense this would be meeting only EU-standards.
(For in France, for example, one get´s a lot of credit with a valid EU-cab-licence. I was in Colmar at the office and I had to show my German cab-licence and a certificate of my employer stating 2 years of employment minimum in full time and for that they are willing to free me from the first two parts of the exam, out of four.
In Germany one can renew the licence for 5 years and for that doesn´t even have to show a valid driving licence, in Zurich the licence even lasts for life without renewal.)

I am asking you now what you think about this, dear forum members.

Do I even have to take the DSA-test again, although I was working as a cab-driver abroad in between or would you consider an exception for people like me okay or do you think this will help flooding the trade with cabbies from Eastern Europe (yet bear in mind the East has improved a lot, comparatively, no more Poles, f.ex., coming to Germany, for they can make the same money at home now! (Get a hold of that!))

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

My, that´s one hell of a support-team!
Well, haven´t decided yet, but sticking to France sure has scored a point!

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

That may be in Germany. There is still plenty of them in Aberdeen.
In fact many have relocated here from other parts of the UK, due to lack of work elsewhere.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

And they get along with the local dialect?
No, just kidding, thanks for answering, gusmac.
Well, that´s answer enough I guess.
Maybe I should go to Aberdeen, then.
(Well, if I ever could manage I would...)

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

There are two types of driver (ignoring the taxi/PH divide), those with taxi/PH licenses, and those without.

Those with can re-license on an annual basis, those without have to re-license from scratch, although the DSA test will not need to be redone.

So you will have to start at the beginning, which means you will need to do the;
Brighton knowledge,
Hove Knowledge,
Brighton and Hove route test,
CRB check,
Disability training,
Level 2 Literacy tests,
Level 2 Numerously tests,
and umpteen other things I've forgot.

In essence if you go through a school it will cost you about £1000 (all in) and take about 6 months.

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IDFIMH

No knowledge school for me, Sussex, have done it without it the first time!
But it´s amazing how much time it needs to repeat the knowledge. The first time took me a year from point zero and now I have spent almost three months repeating this year already alone and there´s still a long way to go. But it´s just the road-names that slipped, get me in a cab and I get you where you want!
You around Brighton, Sussex? Care for a chat? Let me know. I mean that goes for all of you, I´m available between 22nd and 27th this month.

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

Well, Jesus loves you, Jochen, everyone else thinks you are a...hole...

Come on guys I´m only a total pr...k on the outside! Inside I´m just soft and craving for a little love like anyone else! (Plus, erm... admittedly I am not very good at accepting things I don´t see a point in just for the sake of principle...)

No, Sussex, I would even have to take the DSA test again, you´re wrong about that.
Yet, it´s not very likely I will acccept this.

So, I better bring my French book to Brighton for I have to pass a whole week not knowing quite yet what I will give more attention to, that or the town-map. Vous savez? I mean, savvy?

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

One of us is wrong, but it ain't me.

However if you want to do it again, please do so.

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IDFIMH

Gosh, no! I´d be happy to be wrong this time, last time I did it I was being told that I went ten times round the globe by car without ever checking my blind spot. Second time she was more right to fail me, because I admit, two lane round-abouts can be quite tricky for continental guys. (But that was before driving nine months on the left side.) But your wrong anyway, they sent me an annual renewal letter back then and it says true to the word that "failure to renew" will result in having to take DSA-driving test again.

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

The DSA test is a test you take and pass once, unless of course your licensing council wants your driving reassessed due to you being an iffy driver.

However as you haven't got a council license currently there is no need for your future licensing council to have your driving reassessed.

It would be the same if a driver gained a DSA taxi test in one area, and then decided he wished to work elsewhere. In that case the driver wouldn't be required to do another DSA taxi test.

I suggest you ring the licensing department, and hopefully they will confirm what I say.

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IDFIMH

Well, their point of view is that if you fail to renew the licence you are treated as if you have never held one before. That washes in a lot of extra dough for the council for who wants to let his licence expire under those circumstances? So they get year by year their fee from guys who haven´t worked as a driver for a long time.

But, indeed, we´ll know soon, for I will show up there in person right on Thursday morning.

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

Indeed you are treated as you haven't got a license, and you must pass their criteria for licensing.

However you already have a certificate for a DSA taxi test, so you wont need to get another one. If when you last licensed you gained the Btec, then you shouldn't need to redo that either.

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IDFIMH

It wouldn't be often it you were would it

On this occasion I have to agree with you Seagull

I shouldn´t be doing this here, for in only two more days I know for sure, yet, I certainly have the hard-earned certificate from 2008 in my possession and it´s all official paper and stamps - yet there is also a very highly official, yet nor very friendly looking line on it, saying "is only valid for one year".
Yet, don´t bother to answer, I´ll keep you informed.

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

Well, dudes and duderinos, molto salute from Brighton!
Arrived this morning and am getting a bit of fresh sea-air!
(That does not go for North-Street, the most polluted area in the world (bloody buses!))
Tomorrow I will pop in at the HCO!

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)