Taxi Driver Online

Never mind the procedural stuff and the software glitch, it must be pretty unusual for a council to impose just a new knowledge test for existing drivers. Maybe not so unusual if implemented as part of a wider qualification, but there's no word of any other hurdle here apart from the knowledge test


Deadline extended for taxi drivers’ test

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1802 ... vers-test/

TAXI drivers in Allerdale now have until the end of November to pass an electronic knowledge test or they will have their licences suspended.

Cabbies have been given an extra month’s grace in the “interests of fairness” after an earlier software glitch delayed the roll-out, meaning they were not given the full year to pass.

Councillors at a recent licensing meeting agreed to extend the deadline until November 30, and that that even more time could be given to individual drivers in “extenuating circumstances”.

Of Allerdale’s 303 drivers, 238 have already passed, leaving 65 who have so far failed to pass the knowledge test.

The licensing committee had earlier approved the procurement of the software which was supposed to come into effect on November 1 last year.

Existing drivers were told that they had one year to do the test after which their licenses would be suspended but further tweaks were needed before it was ready.

The council has approached drivers by letter and phone calls to remind them of the looming deadline, though it emerged that some won’t be taking it because they are retiring from the trade.

Coun Alan Smith, of the Licensing Panel, moved that the committee followed officer recommendations and extend the deadline.

He said: “If these people have been contacted, then when the letter comes that is it finished with: they lose their licence.

“If we have been fair with them as a council; they should be fair with us as well. This involves officer time and is a cost to the taxpayer.”

Let's hope the officers know how it's supposed to work better than the councillor

Think the licensees will be paying for this out of the license fees not the Council taxpayers,cannot understand why the trade agreed to for go grandfather rights when agreeing to the knowledge test.

More information in a BBC report which is relevant. Seems that there was strong opposition.

And it's also a bit more than a 'knowledge test' - see the link to the sample test paper below.

Anyway, here's the relevant part of the BBC report:


Allerdale taxi drivers must pass test or have licence suspended

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-50331947

Of 303 drivers in Allerdale in Cumbria 238 have so far passed[...]

A consultation on the new scheme received 97 responses from members of the trade, of which 83 opposed it.

Many drivers objected on grounds of cost, having already paid to be licensed. Others argued for the test to apply to new drivers only.

Some said satellite navigation made the test unnecessary, although the council said it covered more than geographical knowledge.
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So the link to the sample test paper is at the bottom of this post.

Have to say a lot of it is pretty straightforward, but I'd not be 100% certain on the roadsigns

The geographical stuff and the likes of Question 10 about the age rule/testing frequency would depend on local knowledge and rules.

Also the likes of that safeguarding question:



I mean, obviously not A.

B might be putting the child in danger unnecessarily.

C might do likewise if you're not acting on what the child says, although by refusing them you might avert any *immediate* danger. But chances are the child would simply get another cab.

So both B and C might be exposing them to danger?

Maybe the safeguarding training they've (presumably) had would make the answer obvious, but from a common sense perspective it doesn't seem clear cut to me.

Anyway, here's the link to the sample paper. And it's an 80% pass mark, by the looks of it


https://democracy.allerdale.gov.uk/docu ... 050218.pdf

Just having a quick look at the DfT publication Know Your Traffic Signs, which is basically a more specialist and in-depth version of the Highway Code stuff.

But it's over 140 pages, and even the taxi rank stuff covers three pages

Intend reading this on the rank tonight, and will have committed it all to memory before the end of my shift

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... -signs.pdf

I'm not sure they can suspend under these circumstances.

The case below reverses the requirement as to who has to show who is 'fit and proper'. In short the council have to show that the driver isn't 'fit and proper', having licensed him for a year due to him being 'fit and proper'. Nothing has changed.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=27919

Of course the council could say we wont re-license, but they can't suspend.

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IDFIMH