Another day, and more stuff about cross border hiring and 'spivs' wanting to make knowledge tests easier...
Changes afoot to help York taxi drivers pass city's testhttp://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/1624450 ... ty_s_test/JUST half of the people who want to become taxi drivers in York pass the city’s tests.
Councillors have now agreed to change the way the tests are run to help York-based drivers get their licences.
Out-of-town cabs flock to York and it's a lucrative market, councillors have heard, but the council’s tough tests mean it is extremely difficult for York firms to recruit enough new drivers.
On Monday Michael Dunn, from the city’s second largest taxi firm York Cars, urged City of York council’s gambling, licensing and regulatory committee to help people pass the tests.
He said “dozens” of out of area cars come to York every day because there is high demand and money to be made. Local firms like his struggle to meet demand as costly and tough tests – including a “knowledge” test about city streets and questions about pedestrian zones – deter possible recruits, he added.
The current pass rate is just 30 per cent, and even after five possible re-sits, only 50 per cent of applicants get through. The tests cover five topics, but figures show most applicants fall down at plotting routes around the city and knowing about licence conditions.
Head of public protection Matt Boxall told councillors they were not being asked to “dumb down” the tests, but to help more people meet the authority’s high standards.
This should help drive up standards across the city, he added.
Papers show his department is looking at giving out example tests to help people prepare, listing landmarks they may be tested on, and looking at more training on the tougher elements.
Committee member Cllr Dave Taylor said it was discriminatory that York drivers were expected to pass these tests while out of town drivers who are free to work in York were not.
He said he supported moves to drive up the “pitifully” low 30 per cent pass rate, but slammed the national laws which allow drivers to come into York from other areas.
Cllr Taylor said: “My problem is with the national legislation. People can choose to be tested in Kirklees or Calderdale because they pay a lower fee or the test is easier, and then come and drive in York.
“That’s nonsensical, and it’s nonsensical that people can come to drive in this city and because they don’t know the area, occasionally make dangerous moves and put the lives of our citizens and tourists at risk.”
The committee agreed to bring in the suggested changes, but asked licensing staff to consider ways of making the test more user friendly – by helping people with dyslexia or literacy issues – and to look at potentially cheaper online training options.
After the meeting, Mr Dunn said he was pleased with the decision but would be pushing for more details.
At present, tests can ask drivers to chose between three routes with as little as a tenth of a mile between them, so Mr Dunn would instead like to see drivers tested on a set of 60 specific routes which would cover most of the city.
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