Taxi Driver Online

Testing time for taxi drivers

DERBY taxi firm bosses have defended exams they are putting their drivers through which have been criticised over the level of question difficulty. In one multiple choice question in the tests, drivers are asked how should they behave when children are in their car – one of the answer options is "smoke cigarettes and swear loudly".

Another asks: "What are the best ways of showing the passenger you have listened to their instructions and understand what they want?" Two of the possible answers are "grunt and nod" and "yawn and say 'whatever'".

Susie Squires, Derbyshire spokeswoman of the Taxpayers Alliance, has criticised the tests, which are paid for by the Government, as a waste of money. She said: "Taxi drivers already have a job. The Government should be focusing on getting people who are currently unemployed back into work."

But bosses say the NVQ and BTEC courses are a chance for drivers to get formal qualifications for the first time. Mark Keenan owns Western Cars, which employs 240 drivers and was the first firm to introduce the tests.

He said: "It was up to the drivers wether they took the test or not, nobody forced them to but I just wanted to make our company more professional. "At the moment taxi driving is one of the only jobs where you can just start without having any qualifications or training beforehand."

The Road Passenger Vehicle Driving courses are being paid for by the Learning and Skills Council – meaning Derby's 1,300 hackney carriage and private hire drivers can obtain the qualification for free.

But many drivers are baffled that, after years of experience on the road, they are being told to go back to the classroom and answer questions they describe as "ridiculous".

Jonathan Hall has been a driver for nine years and was encouraged by his employers, Sinfin Cars, to take the exam while it is free. The 45-year-old said: "When the test was first introduced nobody wanted it and the majority of taxi drivers feel it has been forced upon us.

"For the experienced drivers it just feels like a waste of time – some of the questions are very easy. "Perhaps get the new drivers to do it, that's fair enough, but when you've been doing the job for nearly 10 years, going into a classroom and being taught something you already know is a bit ridiculous."

Brian Yasin is an NVQ Coordinator at the Derby Learning Centre, in Shaftesbury Street, which runs the courses. He said: "At some point in the future this test will become compulsory so we are encouraging drivers to take it now, while it is free, rather than wait and pay for it themselves.

"The experienced drivers find that they know most of the elements they are being tested on but most find the law units very useful to brush up on their knowledge."

Taxi drivers already have to undergo a Criminal Record Bureau check, a process which came in about five years ago. They must also take the Knowledge test, which covers local geography and licence conditions.

The new level two NVQ and BTEC courses cost between £1,226 and £1,839 per person. The council's area director for Derbyshire, Mick Brown, said the taxi driving qualifications are "equivalent to five good GCSEs".

He said among skills taught are literacy and numeracy, and health and safety. "These qualifications are recognised by employers."

Derby City Council is currently in discussions with drivers in the city to see what they think about the qualifications before deciding whether to make the tests compulsory.

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IDFIMH

Always said it was far too easy

The Btec costs aren't met by the government they're just swallowed into the NVQ which is the bit that attracts that lovely sum of money and that's funded.

With regard to the literacy and numeracy that's be available for years for adult learners and has helped a lot of people overcome some stumbling blocks were learning is concerned.

If it was too difficult they would be moaning about that. If they want a more difficult test they should sign up for higher level qualifications instead of the bog standard easy level 2. You can go all the way to a level 5 in passenger transport if you like that'll have you're brain buzzing.

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

The most common language in the world is numeracy/money, it does not matter whether you are Chinese,Afro,Asian,Brit/whatever. Even stupid dishonest gov ministers know how to add up and take away, I would go as far as saying practically everyone will know if they have the right change or not. So numeracy does not come into it.

The bottom line is that this is about good manners and people skills and if you have not got them now - then it is far to late by bringing in half baked attempts to rectify the unrectifiable.

Make no mistake, someone somewhere is making money out of this, and it is not going to benefit us or anyone in the trade.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

That should be the major question being asked by tax payers, how the f*** can the country afford to pay those sums for something most drivers don't need?

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IDFIMH

I wonder if the Tax Payers alliance would pay for a new thunder box for me? Mine has developed a problem...the flush handle has just snapped.

Should that not say 'don't need nor want'? As I said in the other post about this taxi drivers weren't complaining about the costs of NVQ's until they had to have one so I don't really think they care about the tax payers money, do you?

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

I took this Btec course and exam.An absolute joke and waste of everyone's time.It's 90% common sense.One of the questions was 'What does a white stick with red rings signify? Answer- Blind person with hearing difficulties...one of the 4 multiple choice answers was.....
PEELING PAINT!!!
Hmm,tricky!
The NVQ assessments are ongoing...yawn yawn.

These courses are a total waste of time and money, anyone who agrees with these courses is an imbecile and anyone who thinks that taking a course will improve their customer skills is retarded.

Get him Toots.

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Grandad,

Looks like CC's been giving courses in insults



I would but he's bigger than me and he scares me

In reply to the courses being a total waste of time I can't entirely agree with you. I have experienced first hand drivers enjoying these courses and they have said that they learnt something from them. Having said that I am inclined to agree that some of the content is a little obscure and probably not needed. The multi choice questions are designed so an idiot can pass them (which I don't agree with), but, I have known drivers to have to re-sit them

As everybody on here probably knows already my stance on training I can only reiterate what I've already said and that's I believe drivers need training but the course needs changing. I think an accumulation of courses all combined and worked on to gain a complete qualification would be a better route.

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

Has anyone managed to get hold of a copy of one of these "Mensa" courses!

I would like to see if they are the same all round, and also to many people how demeaning they can be. It goes back to why are they giving out licenses to unsuitable candidates.It is their system that is failing, and as ever others have to pick up in some cases "The Cost" and also have to give their quality free time for nothing. If they had to pay you to go on this course it just would not take place, as far as I am concerned as much of a minion that I am - my time has a value and a price.

The LAs should have a good reason to put people who they have chosen for the job on these courses! Newbies maybe, but neither should be insulted with meaningless garbage.

Let us be fair about this! are they the LAs going to make this course so hard that people fail,they then cannot get THEIR remuneration to run their offices and to pay their wages. It is going to be basically easy (too easy) so you have to ask what is the true value.

"We have ways of making you part with your money" comes to mind! and also a classic case of " We are doing something to be seen to be doing something"

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Who says they are unsuitable They only need to be fit and proper

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

You are right re fit and proper, but if their people skills and manners are not up to scratch ( the courses seem to be just about that ) then they are not suitable - which then goes back to the L.As not taking enough time to evaluate the people who they give the badges to.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

As Toots said, The council can only decide if a person is fit and proper. They can't make the judgement of a persons suitability, that is outside their powers.

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Grandad,

Okay let us play with those words "Fit & Proper",fit for what i.e, the job,physical exertion, or a person fit to do the job?

Proper!what exactly does that mean, one head two eyes etc, or to be a bit more sensible, can he/she do the job properly i.e a proper person?

Do not forget a CRB check defines a person as being as trustworthy as one can find out, so "Fit & Proper" is more definitive to the job and not the trustworthiness of the person concerned.

If something was wrong or needed improvement in the local council office and they needed to put it right by sending the workforce on a course, then they would be paid for doing the course and they most certainly would not have to pay for the course out of their own pockets.

Which ever way anyone wants to put it, it is a failure by the LAs and they want our time and money to put it right, and that is never right.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.