Taxi Driver Online

Back to college, Wiltshire taxi drivers told


Furious taxi drivers have been told by Wiltshire County Council to go back to college to complete a NVQ course.

Drivers who carry out county council contracts have been told they need to complete a 13-week course in Road Passenger Transport which includes personal safety, customer services, disability legislation and tourist information.

It involves two hours a week at college, two online assessments and a workplace assesment during which they will be shadowed by an examiner.

Nick Pierce, who runs Nick’s Taxis in Corsham, is furious.

He said: “This is not only a complete waste of time but quite insulting. We already have to undertake a local knowledge test and a medical test.

“I have been a taxi driver in this area for 14 years and I don’t think I need this now.

“Every taxi driver that I have spoken to is against this – they can’t see the point in going back to college.”

Another driver, Gerry Smith, says he will refuse to complete the course.

He said: “I have been driving taxis around since the 1960s.

“Why should I be taught how to do my job by some college boy who probably wasn’t even around then?

“It’s a kick in the teeth to have somebody try and tell you how to do your job after doing it for so long.”

A spokesman for Wiltshire County Council said that it had mistakenly told drivers that the course was a legal requirement, but this is not so.

He apologised for any confusion but said the council believes the training will help drivers, customers and the county.

The vast majority of taxi and private hire drivers had responded positively to the letter, he said.

The council has set up a series of meetings to tell drivers about the course.

The meeting in Chippenham will be held on January 21 at the town’s rugby club.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I had a letter from our county council stating that from April no contracts will be issued to comany's who's drivers have not been on a traning course run by the county council. I immediatly rang them and asked for all my drivers to be put on the next available course. I would pay the drivers wages whilst they were on the course.
Guess what, there are no courses planned yet and only limited places will be available when they are planned. I poined out that the letter stated no contracts would be issue etc. The guy told me that all we had to do as a company was to commit the driver to the next available course and there would be no problem.
So it looks like someone has made a policy decision without looking into the feasability of it.

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Grandad,

Whilst I agree it will take time to complete having knowledge of an area and being pronounced fit does not a good taxi driver make. Apart from which as has been said in lots of posts now it is a case of getting what you know on paper. It is inconvenient but it can be enjoyable



Can I come work for you. You seem much nicer than them who run the system I work on

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

It's one of the terms of the contract.

You don't have to do it if you wish to continue trading, only if you want work from Wiltshire County Council.

Quite straigtforward in my view.

My drivers are employed on an hourly rate and not on a shared bag, radio rent or other such scam.

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Grandad,

What if they sit there for hours and don't get any work

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

They don't. They only do school contract work. they don't work the streets. Most are semi retired people who only want to work part time and enjoy the school holidays off.

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Grandad,

Is your firm called SAGA?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Shock horror !!!!!

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IDFIMH

Has anyone asked why?

And if this course is so important then why isn't it part of the initial 'fit and proper' criteria?

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IDFIMH

One of the reasons it can't be done as the 'fit & proper' criteria is because it's an NVQ which is a job related qualification so you have to be doing the job to do the NVQ

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

But as part of an application the mandatory taking of the course would be part of a request for information similar to the DSA test in the Darlington vs. Kaye case;

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2004/2836.html

The thing that really does bother me about these courses is the 's' at the end of the wrod course.

We have a different course from one area to the next; it should be a standard course throughout the UK and interchangable between local authorities.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

When the NVQ course becomes mandatory the government will remove funding.

The VRQ course has become part of the application process, the NVQ has not.

The NVQ has been requested by some councils for the operators and drivers of home to school contracts.

There are only two courses BOTH are Nationally recognised.

I agree that there is no standardisation and following a meeting with Go-skills last week I believe the EV's are seeking IV's to insist on standardisation meetings in each region.

The problem here is that private training companies are making a shedload of money without offering added value, indeed I believe that some are now offering 2 NVQ's to candidates because the government has recently allowed funding for second level 2 qualifications ............... thats twice the money for the same amount of work.

I have called for professionalism within the industry for some time, it sickens me to see people coming in and profiting from something they care nothing about.

The NTA/NPHA should have taken a lead on this many moons ago, the regions are set up to allow taxi drivers to train taxi drivers but instead of doing something positive everyone chooses to degrade a opportunity for this industry to be regarded as a profession.

A quote often heard is "what can they teach me" well if you know everything why not teach others what you know ................... the pay is as good as what you'd make sitting on your ar$es.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Thanks GA.

But the point should be there's 1 qualification (well perhaps 2 because HC & PH are different).

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

The qualification is now compulsory in Sefton.... but only as long as funding is available... that reminds me I am back tomorrow... with a few questions...

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!