Taxi Driver Online

EIGHTEEN Glasgow taxi drivers have been forced off the road after refusing to go on a course to improve their customer care skills. Council licensing bosses decided to suspend the licences when none of the drivers involved attended a hearing at which their cases were to be heard.

Six other drivers who had not completed the compulsory course but did show up at yesterday's meeting have been told they can continue to operate as long as they do the course in the next six weeks. The 18 whose licences were suspended will not be allowed back on the roads until they complete the course.

The move follows the introduction last October of the mandatory course, which is aimed at improving customer service for passengers using taxis and private hire cars and turning Glasgow's 6000 drivers into ambassadors for the city. Once their three-year licence comes up for renewal, taxi and private hire drivers are forced to take the one-day course.

The training includes improving courtesy to all passengers, dealing with foreign visitors, basic first aid, through to improving services for disabled travellers. Drivers are also trained in 'selling' Glasgow to tourists, from telling visitors where to have a good time, through to where to find the best Mackintosh architecture.

Yesterday's meeting of the council's licensing complaints committee was the first time a raft of drivers who have not completed the course were asked to explain why. According to one councillor, the sanctions handed out show the authority is not prepared to tolerate drivers ignoring the course.

John Moynes, convener of licensing complaints committee, said: "It is very disappointing that so many drivers have been suspended so soon after the new customer care course was brought in. "The licensing committee endorsed a recommendation from the industry for these courses. "Our taxi and private hire drivers play an integral role in the city's transport network and looking after customers properly is a key part of the job. "We hope the decisions send out a clear message to anyone who thinks they can dodge the test."

Bill Mackintosh, secretary of the Glasgow-wide Taxi Owners' Association, said: "If drivers were given notification to attend the meeting, but did not bother, then that is the consequences they face. "It seems a little harsh, but the solution is in the hands of the operator. These are conditions set by the council and drivers must adhere to them."

No-one from the Greater Glasgow Private Hire Association was available for comment.

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IDFIMH

so, bearing in mind how the press confuse the issue.

were they PHV drivers or HC?

Captain cab

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

I'm pretty certain they were taxis boys.

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IDFIMH

Nope, you are presuming wrongly on my band of angels, its the nasty PH again surely

Captain cab

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

John Moynes, convener of licensing complaints committee, said: "It is very disappointing that so many drivers have been suspended so soon after the new customer care course was brought in. "The licensing committee endorsed a recommendation from the industry for these courses. "Our taxi and private hire drivers play an integral role in the city's transport network and looking after customers properly is a key part of the job". "We hope the decisions send out a clear message to anyone who thinks they can dodge the test."

Bill Mackintosh, secretary of the Glasgow-wide Taxi Owners' Association, said: "If drivers were given notification to attend the meeting, but did not bother, then that is the consequences they face". "It seems a little harsh, but the solution is in the hands of the operator.These are conditions set by the council and drivers must adhere to them"


Yet again more bureaucracy for hard working drivers to face

Apparently the 'industry' asked for these measures to be brought in & the TOA ,which has near enough 100 % membership of taxi operators in Glasgow , as usual back the council. This is the same TOA that allowed age restrictions & dress codes to be brought in. Its about time someone stood up to these guys & told them to let us get on with our lives.

If it aint broke, don't fix it !

I assume the council will be approaching local bus & train operators & requesting their drivers attend the courses ?

If the council has time on their hands maybe they should turn their attention to all the unlicensed limo/executive hire operators that have a free for all in Glasgow

Cheers

Disability awareness and dress code is the norm in Dundee.
I have no problem with this.
But first aid,no,that is up to the individual to want to participate in this.
Next they will be wanting us to learn to read and write and give the customer their proper change.
WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO.

im all for the first aid course, to help ourselves when we get attacked !!!!
Just another [edited by admin] excuse for the council to make money from us, maybe someone needs to teach joe public how to respect the drivers,,,,and captain cab the most complaints i hear every weekend are about black hacks,,,and their lack of professionalism and their arrogance,,,,

If that is the case, then perhaps you can appeal against the local authority as it is an unfair condition.

I dont think you'll win, the powers that be seem to be shifting in a direction of quality standards.

regards

Captain cab

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

im not against the idea of customer care, far from it,,im against the idea of``jump and ill tell you how high``.If this is the way councils are now going with regards to quality , standards and the like, why do they not now put a little emphasis towards driver welfare and strict new regulations and laws if posible to help with our safety issues etc,,they already voted against cctv,,,maybe there afraid 99 percent of drivers will always be found innocent if theres cctv in the taxi, thus not being able to play the oppressive rulers that they are.

I know where your coming from, perhaps the training course has a section devoted to driver welfare and safety issues, the ones I have heard about in England do mention it.

As for CCTV, I understand certain suppliers will approach the LA, I think RayWood were one.

regards

Captain cab

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

Whilst I agree in general terms that a certain criteria may be met in this area, I bet a pound to a penny that these customer skills meant caving n and letting the blighters do what they like. I strongly suggest a few saturday evening shifts for these LA bods to open their eyes. One driver here recently got his bum felt hard for asking a sickie to get out of his car. A new LA bod to the job told him this was not fulfilling his contract to provide transport home !! Suggest we go and [edited by admin] on his dining table and see how he likes it. Again I say realistic skills are to be desired but mostly totally unrealistic trying to be applied by red tape idiots who don't or also don't want to understand the reality of our business in these binge drinking times !!

What they have done is unlawfull of course and against the human rights act

Glasgow is yet another council that yet has to realise that there is a difference between a new application and a renewal.

and you canna move the goalposts on a renewal, even if your council is defended by JD

rules are rules.

I agree there is a difference, it's just in the DSA case the judge didn't think it mattered.

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IDFIMH