Taxi Driver Online

Concern County Durham taxi laws will put 'public safety at risk'

New Taxi drivers in County Durham won’t need to prove their knowledge of the local area before starting as part of proposed new licensing laws.

Durham County Council’s General Licensing and Registration Committee (GLRC) recently agreed to remove the requirement for hackney carriage and private hire driver licence applicants to have to sit a locality test as part of the application process.

The prevalence of sat navs and smartphones have been cited as reasons behind the decision, however the authority insists all applicants will still be “properly vetted” before licences are granted.

The changes, which are set to be approved at full council later this year, open the door for more drivers from outside the region to get work in the area.

It is the first major change to the policy since 2018, with the authority vowing to review it every five years. Several public consultations were carried out to help shape the decision.

But the changes haven’t been warmly received by local drivers. Thomas Philip Young, who works in Chester-le-Street, said: “Anybody with a pulse, a clean DBS check will just be able to come and away they go. I’ve looked at the criteria to get a licence and it’s pretty elementary.

“The council won’t be able to have any control over the amount of taxis, which means that those already here will struggle to make a living because the market will be too saturated. It’s a worrying situation and really puts the public’s safety at risk.”

Owen Cleugh, Durham County Council’s public protection manager, said: “The proposed policy has been subject to two public consultation exercises. The responses received were carefully considered before members of the GLRC decided to remove topographical testing from the application process for both hackney carriage and private hire drivers.

“Members agreed that with the widespread availability of sat navs and smartphones, there is less need for taxi drivers to demonstrate their own personal knowledge of the area in which they are licensed.

"If the proposals are agreed when they go to full council later in the year, all applicants will continue to be properly vetted and all necessary checks will take place to ensure they are a fit and a proper person before they are granted a licence.”

_________________
IDFIMH

OK, so a grassroots driver is quoted, and is predictably sceptical.

But nothing in the article about where the impetus for the proposal came from. I doubt if the council decided to examine this and consult on it unilaterally, so presumably the impetus came from proprietors and operators?

And maybe council officials worried everyone would license elsewhere, and/or council officials wishing to become Wolverhampton the Second.

_________________
IDFIMH

Pretty much a carbon copy from Bracknell, and again the usual talk of sat-navs etc, but no real information regarding where the impetus for change came from, precisely.

And, of course, some grassroots HCDs are opposing it

But one isn't - what's the guessing he benefits from new drivers in some shape or form?


Bracknell taxi drivers say 'keep the knowledge test’

https://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/23 ... edge-test/

Taxi drivers may no longer be tested on their local knowledge of the area under plans being considered by Bracknell Forest Council.

Currently drivers of all cabs and private hire cars have to pass a so-called “knowledge test” before the council will grant them a licence. Hackney Carriage—black cab—drivers also have to pass a verbal test of specific routes to destinations in the borough based on map work.

But now Bracknell Forest Council’s licensing committee is considering getting rid of the test, with some councillors say its no longer needed with widespread use of sat navs.

Yet some Hackney Carriage drivers in Bracknell have spoken out in favour of keeping it.

Asghar Ali, who has been a Hackney Carriage driver in Bracknell for 13 years, said it’s important for drivers to have local knowledge.

He said: “They shouldn’t get rid of the knowledge test because if you don’t have a knowledge of the area, that will be a problem for the resident and a problem for the drivers as well.

“It’s not difficult. If you give it a good two weeks you can pass it, but without the knowledge test it shouldn’t be allowed.”

He also worried that making it easier to get a license would make it harder for drivers to get work – noting that rules are less strict for private hire firms such as Uber. “If they go with the changes everyone will get licenses,” he said. “And there’s not enough work for the present drivers.”

And another driver, who didn’t want to be named, said: “I think new taxi drivers should have to take the knowledge test – you have to have your brain working.

“Ubers depend more on GPS. But if the signal has a problem they can’t do anything, they can’t help anyone.”

But not every Hackney Carriage driver thinks it’s important to keep the knowledge test. Gokarna Rai, a driver since 2010, said: “It’s not necessary now, because of the sat nav. Even these days we don’t need to look at the direction signboards. We always follow the sat nav."

The council’s licensing and safety committee was due to discuss the changes on Thursday, June 22. It could vote to scrap the test, keep it, or launch a consultation before making a final decision in October.