Taxi Driver Online

Who said driver quality controls don't work? lol

December 7, 2007 Friday

Cabbie was caught cheating in his test

Worcester News

NEW punishments for taxi exam cheats have been drawn up at Worcester City Council after a prospective cabbie was caught cheating in a knowledge' test.

Council officers received an anonymous tip-off from a member of the public while an exam was in progress last month, warning them someone was breaking the rules.

"During the course of the examination, the licensing officer received phone calls from an unknown person, to inform the licensing team a named individual was using a mobile phone in the exam," the council's environmental services manager Martin Gillies told a meeting of the licensing committee.

Mr Gillies' report stated the candidate was suspected of "using a phone to text someone outside the room" and added: "The applicant was challenged at the end of the test, and evidence was forthcoming which indicated that cheating had been taking place. He was informed he would be disqualified from the examination and the paper would not be marked."

The three-part knowledge exam tests candidates' knowledge of routes around the city and other important issues such as health and safety laws. Candidates have to achieve a score of 80 per cent before being granted a taxi licence. Only 15 of the 62 exams taken since February have been passed.

The questions are compiled randomly from a large computer database each time the exam is taken - a system Mr Gillies said was implemented several years ago after prospective taxi drivers were caught circulating exam papers in advance of the tests.

The licensing committee decided to introduce a new policy preventing anyone caught cheating from re-taking the exam within 12 months, subject to appeal. Repeat offenders will be banned from resits for three years.

"In my view, a one-year ban would be sufficient deterrent to stop me from doing it," said Coun Marc Bayliss.

Anne Murphy, secretary of the Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, condemned the candidate for cheating, but said the manner in which he was caught raised concerns about the examination process.

She said: "We don't want cheats in the trade - this is a responsible job. We need honest people. But you have to ask how often this has happened in the past. Why was it a member of the public who had to inform them? Wasn't there anybody supervising? It makes you wonder what's going on there."

Worcester City Council has refused to reveal any further details of the incident.
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Looking at the stats of Worcester I'm wondering to what height should the bar be raised in respect of driver quality controls or should there be no driver controls whatsoever?

Should hackney carriage plates be restricted to one per person in areas that restrict licenses?

Should the meeting of mindless advocate the DfT bring in an RRO making license plates non transferable in areas that restrict licenses?

How would you feel if a council brought a test case based on the York scenario of proprietor license revocation and reissue to an applicant on a waiting list, and actually won?

How would these proposals effect you as a taxi driver and which proposals would find favour with you?

Regards


JD

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