Taxi Driver Online

Transport Department Information Notice

Dated 01/04/04

Following the recent publication of ‘Road Safety Research Report No. 39: Older Drivers, Illness and Medication’ by the department, dated 29/03/04, the department is proposing the following guidelines to licensing districts in England and Wales, in relation to the maximum age of working taxi and private hire drivers.

(copies available via the DfT web-site) http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/d ... _page.hcsp

1) No licensed driver over the age of 70 will be permitted to re-license once their existing license elapses.
2) Licensed drivers over the age of 60, but below the age of 70, will have to pass the Driving Standards Agency taxi test within 6 months, or again their license will not be renewed.
3) All existed, and prospective, licensed drivers will be required to have annual medicals, including a full eye-test, and a three hour tread-mill running test.

A number of stakeholders are being currently consulted, with a view to implement the above proposals before the end of the year.

It is being recommended that these proposals will apply to drivers of a hackney carriage vehicles who are required to be licensed by section 46 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and section 59 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 or pursuant to section 8 of the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869, or drivers of private hire vehicles who are required to be licensed by section 51 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 or the Plymouth City Council Act 1975, or a driver of a London private hire vehicle licensed under the 1998 London Private Hire Act.

Although we are currently minded to exempt private hire drivers from these proposals.

For further details please e-mail Dee.Limit@everywheresoon.com

Dated this day the first of April.

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IDFIMH

3) All existed, and prospective, licensed drivers will be required to have annual medicals, including a full eye-test, and a three hour tread-mill running test.

Well thats me out the game, three hours, I drive a Taxi, I am not an athlete.

Well,here,s me thinking that we all did these treadmills and healthy livings
each day.
I also run 12 miles daily,but I need to keep fit,as I am DOOOOOOBLO
MAN,and always busy with wheelchairs and upmarket fares.

Keep yir pecker up lads,see you in the London Marathon,I,m the one pushing Uncle Sussex,s PRIVATE HIRE CAR.

DOOOOOOBLO MAN.

I think we need to get organized and sort this out.

Even though getting rid of the old codgers isn't such a bad idea.

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IDFIMH

what date is it?

The 3 hour running test is a bit of a giveaway surely? April fool?

yep got to be an april fool

captain cab

I think the best bit was the e-mail address.

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IDFIMH

It had me going for a while!!!Even looked at the report!Anyway Sussex Man not so much of the old codger or else I will let people know you are nearly 40!! oops!

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42 years now! and still going strong!

Dammit! I thoug.jht for a minute I was gonna be able to retire.

Yes, never noticed that bit but now it's been pointed out

Bit slow down here. Took me a few days to woork it out.

Old age defiantly affects the mind.

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IDFIMH