Doesn't take long to realise that this is effectively another bit of advertising (possibly paid for), but this time to attract drivers rather than customers. (The sheer length of the piece, together with its tone and all the photos etc suggest it's not the kind of thing a newspaper would include to attract readers, but might publish it for a big fat fee.)
But as is so often the case with these things, I seemed to be missing something - why would a new course help increase driver numbers if there was perceived to be a shortage? Surely a new hurdle would mean less drivers?
Then the penny dropped - of course, a couple of years ago there were a few articles about Hull PH ops complaining about a 'dangerous' shortage of drivers. The chap in the article here was threatening legal action back then, and complaining that Hull Council's new BTEC course had resulted in the shortage of drivers, and saying it wasn't flexible enough - it was difficult to do if the applicant already had another job, for example.
So looks like these people have developed their own course in conjunction with training providers of some kind, and although it doesn't say so in the article, presumably the council will accept the course as an alternative to its own qualification. A2Z is also mentioned - isn't it some sort of licensing consultancy that was helping operators hire cross-border drivers?
So the course is helping pave the way into the trade for new drivers, and this kind of 'advertising' is intended to help the process along.
So all in all, think it's what someone on here might call 'VIPs', but with letters rearranged
There's a new band of taxi drivers in Hull - and you can be one toohttps://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hu ... rs-2723483Numbers were dwindling but a new course is helping to boost the number of taxi drivers in the city of Hull
Image: Jerome Ellerby/Hull Daily MailWhen Magnus Murray realised the number of private-hire taxis in Hull were falling at a dramatic rate, he decided to take action.
Nationally, the minicab business was booming after the arrival of the likes of Uber but two years ago, the number of cabs in Hull came close to creeping under the 1,000 mark.
The city was behind the national trend, and the Humber Taxi Association (HTA) was determined to do something revolutionary to create more taxi drivers in Hull.
Magnus, who is secretary of the HTA which used to be known as the Humber Private Hire Association, collaborated with Pearson to introduce a new BTEC course which budding drivers can take at a purpose-built taxi training centre off Hessle Road.
It is not affiliated to any course offered by Hull City Council and according to Magnus it is the first of its kind in the UK with over 100 new drivers introduced to Hull’s roads since the launch of the course last year.
“This course is one step ahead,” Magnus says. “We’ve built this with Pearson and we have made sure it is bulletproof. We had a few teething problems but now it’s running like clockwork.
“We wanted to create this because taxi drivers were dropping like flies. People did not have access to this kind of course and we wanted to create this training centre.”
So, why is the course so good and how does it all work?
Well, according to Magnus, one of the biggest bonuses of the course is the 175-page training document, which each student receives prior to the course.
Image: Jerome Ellerby/Hull Daily MailThis is essentially a “bible of taxi knowledge” and each applicant is given 150 hours to learn and revise the rules and regulations at home in preparation for a three-day intensive course which they can then sit and do at the training centre in West Dock Avenue.
Magnus says: “Drivers come here to do the BTEC course. They do numeracy and literacy tests but when they leave here they are a professional taxi driver because we train them in competence and their obligations towards the public.
“They learn about specific things like the rules around religious people, guide dogs and people in wheelchairs. Drivers can’t refuse to drive someone on religious grounds and you can only refuse to drive someone with a guide dog if you are allergic to dogs. It’s also illegal and unlawful to refuse to drive someone in a wheelchair.
“You see prosecutions up and down the country but the rules are simple and there to follow. If you do follow them, you will be a good taxi driver and you can protect your livelihood.
“It should be common practice now that every taxi driver coming through the ranks should be aware of this and should be good at it. If they offend and re-offend they have got no defence.
“We go above and beyond as a course and we train them on the right policies. We want the public to have access to a safe and professional service but how can they when the drivers are not aware of their basic obligations?”
Image: Jerome Ellerby/Hull Daily MailCompleting the 150 hours at home allows budding drivers to remain in their current jobs and schedule their learning around their own time constraints.
Magnus believes revision is the key to success and out of 130 people who have taken the three-day course, no one has failed.
He says: “The course is one to one and delivered by Gary Geraghty who is one of the best in business. He has been delivering it for 20 years and is well respected.
Image: Jerome Ellerby/Hull Daily Mail“We currently have a 100 per cent pass record because Gary is the teacher and he has a degree in this. Anyone who doesn’t pass gets a free retest.”
The course costs £400 in total, which may seem hefty but Magnus says drivers often end up recouping that money as soon as they start earning.
So far, he has built up publicity of the course through word of mouth but now he wants to reach out to more people across Hull so he can help to continue expanding the city’s fleet of cabbies.
"We’ve built this up through word of mouth. We haven’t done this through greed for ourselves – we just want to restore the fleet in Hull to what it should be and give the public access to a safe and professional taxi service.
“Anybody who wants a career change, and those affected by the adverse effects of Brexit can come in and speak to us because it can be a stopgap for people until they get employment elsewhere.
“They come here for three days after doing 150 hours of learning and it is unique.”
The singing taxi driver
Image: Jerome Ellerby/Hull Daily MailAfter losing two jobs, singer Christine Clark was keen to gain part-time employment to help pay the bills and make some money.
When a friend asked her whether she’d thought about becoming a taxi driver, a light bulb switched on in Christine’s head and she signed up for the course.
“I did the BTEC at the centre and the revising beforehand. Parts of it were quite difficult and I did a lot of revising but it wasn’t really hard.
“It gets you thinking and you get to know all the rules and regulations. I did the knowledge test, the driving test and recently we had to do a safeguarding seminar which talks about vulnerable people you might be carrying because you can end up doing school runs and you need to know how to act.”
The 54-year-old from east Hull began the process in December 2018 and just a month later she was on the road picking up fares.
“I do enjoy it,” Christine says. “It’s a good job and I’ve never had any incidents. I drove around quite a lot as a singer but I never dreamt of doing something like this and I am really enjoying it.”
Christine hopes more women sign up for the course with the taxi trade in Hull currently dominated by men.
“There are a few women but it would be great to get more women taxi drivers. In certain circumstances a woman is better as a driver and I would say if there are any people, men or women, who enjoy driving and can see themselves in this career then come and take the course.
“I was a complete novice but the pack they gave you and the guidance you receive tells you everything you need to know.”
‘I reinvented myself by becoming a taxi driver’
Image: Jerome Ellerby/Hull Daily MailPhil Sylvester had spent years working as an operations manager but after toying over a career change he decided to look into becoming a taxi driver.
The 57-year-old first approached Hull City Council to get a flavour for how he would get into the trade and gain the relevant experience and qualifications to become a cabbie.
Phil was not aware of any other training providers but after learning about the HTA course he decided to make the switch.
“I got in touch with Magnus and he gave me the full package," he said. "It was very relaxed and we went through what was expected of me.
“I had a chance to revise and when I took the course I was very relaxed and I found it really informative. It was not easy by any stretch of the imagination but I was supported all the way.
“With the council course I had to take multiple days off over a three-week period, whereas this was just three days off in one week.
“You’d need a massively understanding boss or lots of holiday to be able to do that and it just wasn’t feasible.”
Image: Jerome Ellerby/Hull Daily MailPhil, who works for 706 Taxis, now loves being his own boss and says being a cabbie has allowed him to reinvent himself and bring something fresh into his life.
“I think one of the best bits for me about the job is the freedom and the self-employment. You can be your own boss," he said.
“I needed to reinvent myself and this job isn’t for everybody. You need to be a people person and you’ve got to have a sociable manner about you.”
For more information about the course, please visit the HTA website here:
https://www.thehpha.co.uk/
Login
Register
FAQ
