Taxi Driver Online

Aberdeen taxi bosses hit out at controversial council plans


Outraged Aberdeen taxi bosses have hit out at a controversial council plan to scrap street knowledge tests for private hire cars.

Officers have asked members to press ahead with dropping the tests following a court ruling involving a driver who had his application refused as he did not complete a knowledge test – something the licence committee requires all drivers to have.

Sam Murray, a law student at Robert Gordon University, took the council to court after being turned down for the private hire licence, claiming the committee’s policy was “illegal and unenforceable”.

Sheriff Graeme Napier said the committee should have stuck to the provisions of a parliament act from the 1980s, which states that such a test need only be taken by those applying for a taxi driver’s licence.

Now a report by city council solicitor Ruth O’Hare, which is to be heard by the licensing committee on Tuesday, says: “If the committee continues to administer the street knowledge test in the face of the sheriff’s decision it is likely that an applicant who faces a decision for refusal based on the policy will appeal the decision.

“Any future challenge would be by way of court proceedings and there could be a financial burden.”

Bosses of some of the city’s biggest taxi firms have now raised fears that the new ruling could lead to a flood of under-trained private hire drivers taking to the city’s streets.

The knowledge requires drivers to learn all city streets and landmarks as well the shortest routes between various locations.

Gordon McKay of Rainbow City Taxis said: “The drivers usually have to study for between six and eight months before even sitting the test so it seems unfair that private hire will be able to pick people up without it.

“Sat-nav is good but it is never 100%. You can’t replace expert local knowledge.”

Cameron Logie, general manager at Central Taxis, added: “I know that in the past drivers who aren’t from the city get lost.

“We learn the quickest routes as part of our training, if there are hundreds of private hires out there you don’t know what you’re getting.”

source: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... rent-fare/

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

Of course the companies could have their own entry rules.

Maybe along the lines of the existing knowledge test.

Or is this a back door Uber move?

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IDFIMH

I suspect it would have been a little different if Gus had been around

RIP

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

what we need is a giant solar flare to knock out the Satellites that sat-nav systems utilise they would soon realise the true value of knowledge

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector