Taxi Driver Online

Call for tougher taxi training as tech-savvy cabbies rely on sat navs


Cabbies could face stricter training amid fears they have lost their way – thanks to their love of sat navs. City bosses are considering a crackdown on drivers after uncovering a series of failures.

Officers believe that once they have undertaken the ‘knowledge’ – the rigorous industry test that makes sure cabbies know their way around Manchester – they no longer pay attention to learning the city’s layout.

A new report due to go before council bosses says some drivers cannot even find Manchester’s most iconic locations. It says: "It is claimed by trade reps that drivers are no longer developing their route knowledge once they have passed their knowledge test and rely instead on satellite navigation technology for journey planning.

"This has been identified as problematic by the trade representatives who indicate that it is not unusual for fellow drivers to ask them for locations of popular Manchester landmarks."

As the M.E.N. revealed last week, complaints about the city’s cab drivers have soared in the last year. At the time one industry representative called for a council crackdown on drivers who are rude or discriminatory – by providing better training.

Now officers have admitted training is ‘inadequate’. As well as route knowledge, they believe disability discrimination could be a problem.

The report says: "Following receipt of a complaint from a disabled passenger, licensing officers visited the taxi rank at Piccadilly station and ascertained that most drivers on that rank claimed not to know that their vehicles were fitted with a swivel seat and ramps."

It adds that despite Manchester College creating a disability awareness course for drivers – at the council’s request – it was ditched because too few drivers showed any interest.

Manchester town hall bosses will now consider whether drivers need more customer care, conflict management and disability awareness training – as well stricter driving assessments and route knowledge tests.

Meanwhile half of taxis fail their regular vehicle tests, introduced in 2008.

_________________
IDFIMH

Lot of things covered there, but I suspect it all either boils down to people taking pride in their work or not. I don't see anything wrong with newer drivers using satnavs so long as they use them as a learning device to get to know the city better, as opposed to just switching off their brains and taking each turn the thing tells them to.

"This has been identified as problematic by the trade representatives who indicate that it is not unusual for fellow drivers to ask them for locations of popular Manchester landmarks."

Why problematic ? I occasionaly have to ask another driver or the office where a restaurant/pub/shop is, purely because I've never heard of it or been there before. Are we expected to know every single place in the area, major landmarks yes, but all the rest ?

From reading the MEN over the years I have came to a number of conclusions....primarily they dont know the difference between taxi and private hire......they also appear to have a deep seated resentment of all things taxi!

CC

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

Quite correct Captain, but further to that, who is responsible if the drivers are not fit for the job.

The authority, who under the LGMPA are forbidden from issuing a licence to any applicant, unless the are sure they are fit and proper.

A further factor to the problem in Manchester is an ex employee has started an Independent Taxi Knowledge school, guarantee to help any body pass the knowledge test. His pupils pass the test, but on starting do not know anywhere. It is ALLEGED he buys the test questions in advance, from his old pals, and teaches them parrot fashion to his students.

This story would fit the facts.

The article reads like it's the council blaming sat-navs for their own failures.

I mean, which driver won't use sat-navs if they think they can be of assistance, however experienced they are?

My old freind Ged mentioned to me a year or so ago about changes made for the worse to Manchester's knowledge test.

CC

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

Will become more and more common with the advent of auto dispatch systems which automatically plot the route to the pick up and destination on the datahead/PDA without any driver intervention.

Do they have a deep seated resentment when they are collecting the £250+k a year in fees?

_________________
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

Was'nt it always the way of things...Local Authorities and Government bodies forever treat Taxi and PH Drivers as the Pikeys and Hawkers of the Transport sector....We are no more than dogs to be kicked.

Copied from another Blog.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... n-sat-navs

I laughed out loud when I read the above story. “City bosses” have uncovered failures.

My laughter had been foretold over 400 years ago.

“For ‘Tis sport to have the engineer
Hoist with his own petard”

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1603)

The Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act (1976) states that;

59 Qualifications for drivers of hackney carriages (1) Notwithstanding anything in the Act of 1847, a district council shall not grant a licence to drive a hackney carriage—

(a) unless they are satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person to
hold a driver's licence; or

[(b) to any person who has not for at least twelve months been authorised
to drive a motor car, or is not at the date of the application for a driver's
licence so authorised].

Therefore, a local authority are, FORBIDDEN from issuing a Hackney carriage licence to any applicant, unless they are CERTAIN, the applicant is fit and proper. This obviously includes a knowledge test.

Therefore, I respectively submit, that any shortcomings in the standard of Hackney driver in Manchester, is an indication of the poor performance of the Councils own Licensing Unit.

It is no surprise therefore to see the following story.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... town-halls

Les Reid

MR Blackcabs

No surprise here then . The Licensing unit in manchester is a joke. There is no sign of any enforcement against any driver
breaking any laws, no one ever gets prosecuted for overcharging which is rife, job refusals is very common and PH and hackneys from everywhere feel free to ''work'' in manchester knowing that nothing will happen to them. Manchester PH can be seen ranking up outside casinos and all in the name of ''booked'' jobs yest anyone can jump in and get a ride. Hackneys are literally pushed away from these locations.
Knowledge ?...a joke...there was a new hackney carriage driver at Manchester Airport who did not know which terminal he was at ...and another who could not find his way to terminal 2...and another who cannot find his way home without a satnav !
I wonder what the passengers make of all this...feel sorry for them ...

Those type of units are here locally now, iirc the driver who wants one pays an extra £5 pw to have it in his car, to us it's the same thing a calculator did to a maths exam.

The funniest story I ever heard of a new driver in Manchester was told to me by a good friend who has now retired. My Pal was sat on Chorlton St bus station rank on a Saturday Morning. A driver pulled behind on the rank got out and came up and introduced himself to my pal. The new driver (who had been born on another Continent) explained it was his first day. Ask me where anywhere is says the new Man. My pal ask a question, New Man says "not sure on that one, ask me another".
My pal ask another question (both questions were locations of hotels, by the way). "Not sure on that one says the new man". My pal getting a little irritated, says, where do you live?. "Cleveland road Crumpsall," says the man. My Pal, "whats the quickest way for you to get home from here".

The new man answers, "Thats not a fair question".

Why?, my mate asks.

"I told you it was my first day, so, I have not been home yet" answers the new man.

I dropped to my knees when told this, I am promised this is a true story.