Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers told to brush up on English

Taxi drivers in Cardiff will be required to present proof they have a strong understanding of English, Cardiff Council agreed today. The requirement, discussed at the public protection committee this morning, means any existing licence holders who are brought before the committee may be asked to take a Skills for Life entry level three qualification to improve their English.

New taxi drivers are already required to hold a BTEC level qualification, which proves a good understanding in English – a requirement brought in in January 2010.

The decision follows a meeting of the committee in July, in which members expressed concerns that the level of English language understanding by some city taxi drivers was still not up to scratch despite the required qualifications – and a report into possible options was launched.

Officers who met with BTEC training providers were satisfied that while the BTEC course does not test English specifically – it is conducted in English to such a standard a good understanding of the language is required to sit the examination.

However, black and white hackney carriage and private hire licence holders who did not go before the committee after January 2010 may be required to sit a course in Skills for Life at entry level three standard to ensure a good understanding of English. The level allows for people "to feel comfortable in dealing with matters – speaking to people on the phone and writing accurately."

Councillor worries about interpreters being able to sit with those in the test were also quashed by BTEC trainers present at the meeting.

Councillor Sue Goddard said: "This is all well and good but we have many different dialects in our city. Dialects are very difficult sometimes to understand so while people have my sympathies, when they are driving people around our city their language skills should be a much better standard than we have seen here."

Existing drivers will only be made to take Skills for Life entry level three if they are reported back to the public protection committee or take the course voluntarily. Council officers today said the course details would be advertised online and at the licensing office.

But chair of the hackney carriage association, Mathab Khan said taxi drivers in the city already had enough hurdles to get through. He said: "What the driver has to go through to obtain a licence! And after introducing the BTEC course! Before we add another hurdle to the actual process of getting a licence, it should be considered if the BTEC course is doing it's purpose."

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IDFIMH

So let's get this straight.

The trade is going through a bad time due to the recession, yet this so-called representative wants to make it easier for drivers to join the party.

Another bone-head only too happy to join the 'too many cabs, not enough drivers' bunch of goons.

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IDFIMH

I have to say I think the Btec is better than the NVQ but both the courses are so basic and don't encourage drivers to advance further skills it's a shame really. Most training companies include a test for skills in literacy and numeracy purely to get the extra funding for it.

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

Have to say both courses are a feed of chutney. Can't say they are a waste of effort, because they require no effort. Can say they are a waste of time. So far I have not heard of one single thing that anybody has actually learned on these "courses".
It's just a way of providing some employment to the "Instructors" and aside from owners or shareholders in private "schools" they are the only ones who benefit in any way. The "executives" at GoSkills have their fingers in the pie as well.
As a punishment I can see some very limited use to these "courses" but to the vast majority of Hackney and PH drivers, it is all horse manure!

Sorry Toots, now I have had to disagree with you too - will I be safe in Sunderland?

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Had you disagreed with me of course you would be safe Had you said that taxi/ph drivers could not benefit from an appropriate training course then we would have disagreed

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

Plaid Cymru will have a field day with this, shouldnt WELSH cabbies have WELSH as thier first langauge?

On that basis there would probably be Noooooooooooooo drivers.

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

English test for Cardiff taxi drivers 'open to abuse'

8 September 2010

A plan to ensure Cardiff taxi drivers have good English skills could be exploited by some passengers, the head of a drivers' association has said.

Cardiff Council could force drivers to do an English exam if passengers make a complaint about their language ability.

Mathab Khan, head of Cardiff Hackney Association, said drivers were already subject to rigorous tests.

He said: "A lot of drivers get abused racially by drunk people. A complaint could be made maliciously."

Mr Khan said taxi drivers in Cardiff were already among the most tested in the UK.

He said hackney carriage and private hire drivers had to undergo six separate checks and tests before they could get a license.

One of those is a BTEC examination, brought in at the start of 2010, which tests new drivers' navigation and map reading skills.

Councillor Ed Bridges, chair of Cardiff council's public protection committee, said: "The authority is concerned that the standard of English of a small minority of licensed drivers does not enable them to provide the service to the high standards expected by the public."

He added: "While the requirement for new applicants to undertake the taxi driver BTEC course will ensure the all new drivers have the necessary understanding this does not address the problem of existing drivers."

Mr Khan said drivers suffered a lot with "some passengers - those that are drunk or are abusive".

"All it will take is one phone call to licensing and they will be called up to have their English checked," he added.

"Drivers would suffer loss of earnings even if a complaint was groundless," he said.

"Once a call is made the driver will be subjected for a recorded interview like a police interrogation."

"The driver will lose money having to take off work to prepare for the interview and do the interview."

Under the proposals, a driver would go before the council committee if the first interviewers believed there was an issue with language.

'Completely arbitrary'

Mr Khan explained that if the committee felt the drivers lacked the necessary skills, the driver could have to pay up to £500 to sit a course in Skills for Life at entry level three standard.

"They have already been given a license so they are right and proper to drive a taxi. It's not right. This is absolutely wrong and completely arbitrary."

Mr Khan said the association was taking legal advice.

He added: "Often a regional dialect can be difficult to understand. That doesn't mean the driver doesn't understand English."

"The drivers are not Oxford University graduates. They are ordinary people trying to make a living."

Source; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-sout ... s-11227116

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

He should thank his lucky stars that the council have not introduced Welsh as the official language.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

In fairness he does have a good point. What this does is high lite the cavalier manner in which the L.A have literally given out licenses,it is they who have been totally irresponsible.

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

The council can't do a thing about the number of driver's licenses.

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IDFIMH

The point I am making is that the Council have treated the job with a lack of respect! They, and only they, have given licenses out without checking the most basic of things...........do they speak the language.

As you know the job is not rocket science, but of all things you do need to be able to communicate and on this the L.A have fallen down big time. It is their failure, as to how they get around it without having some form of litigation against them leaves me perplexed. The problem is more than likely to be drivers who have borrowed one of the "Brothers" cars!

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

It seems to me a little regulation of plates changes attitudes.

It seems the TOA now want lower barriers, whereas before when they were delimited they wanted higher barriers.

Reminds me of a certain South Coast town......who'd have a completely differnt attitude toawrds rear loaders....if they were delimited.

CC

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