Taxi instructor 'sacked for not passing incompetent students'
June 25, 2010 - 3:04PM
A Queensland taxi driver trainer claimed he was sacked because he refused to pass eight ‘‘incompetent’’ students.
The driver, who had 30 years industry experience, said private taxi companies were putting profits before safety by refusing to fail training drivers.
His revelations were included in
a report into the taxi industry tabled in state parliament yesterday by the Workplace Ombudsman Don Brown.
Mr Brown was scathing of the industry following an eight-month investigation, which he said the ‘‘senior and influential elements of the industry’’ attempted to hijack.
Mr Brown made 56 recommendations in the 110-page report, covering driver training, safety, minimum employment entitlements and the industry structure.
He has called for an audit of all training courses and responsibility for testing to be taken away from private organisations contracted by taxi operators and given to the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
Mr Brown said some drivers lacked driving skills, locality knowledge, route knowledge and language skills.
Presently, no testing is conducted independent of taxi booking companies and courses have not been scrutinised by an independent authority, Mr Brown said.
He included part of a submission from the veteran driver in his report.
‘‘I was never asked to teach again after I would not pass all the students,’’ the driver told Mr Brown.
‘‘Some could not read, understand English, or comprehend what I was saying.’’
Cab Drivers Association of Queensland secretary Lee Sims, who has long been calling for industry reform, said lax driver standards were putting the public at risk.
He said Transport Minister Rachel Nolan was made aware of the problems in May last year and should be sacked for ignoring them.
‘‘She was told by us the public were being driven around by unsafe and incompetent drivers ... and she didn’t accept it,’’ Mr Sims said.
‘‘We told her there could be deaths.’’
Ms Nolan said the government had "raised the bar on taxi standards".
There were fewer new drivers since the government set a minimum one year's experience driving on Australian roads as a prerequisite to gaining a taxi licence.
Taxi drivers must also now be at least 20 years old.
Ms Nolan said a taxi compliance unit had been created and the state was working with the federal government on national training standards.
She accused the Cab Drivers Association of Queensland of racism.
"Unfortunately for the last 12 months the CDAQ has run a campaign to restrict the opportunities of Indian drivers," Ms Nolan said.
"I have made it clear that this government will regulate the industry for service quality not nationality or race."
Mr Brown said improved driver training was ‘‘a vital first step’’ to improve taxi services and therefore increase patronage and income for drivers and operators.
The investigation found cab drivers were suffering psychological injury from abusive passengers who had experienced poor service during a previous journey.
‘‘This, drivers say, causes job satisfaction to fall and stress levels to rise with effects on health ranging from insomnia to hypertension,’’ the report says.
Mr Brown told brisbanetimes.com.au taxi drivers must have greater driving skills than the average licence holder.
‘‘Drivers, regardless of the fact they already have a driver’s licence, should undergo further testing,’’ Mr Brown said.
‘‘The job of a taxi driver is more complex. They’ve got all matter of things to contend with [such as] passengers on the back seat giving them directions.’’
Yellow Cabs general manager Bill Parker criticised the investigation for "generalising" and said Mr Brown had not spent time in his company's driver training area.
Mr Parker said all Yellow Cab drivers had to prove basic skills before they could begin the taxi course.
While there were some unfit drivers, he was "quite confident" he had done enough to improve standards.
"We've spent an inordinate amount of time in improving driving standards and retraining, if necessary, when issues are brought to our attention," Mr Parker said.
"I don't have a problem with the government doing some of the assessment but I can assure you that our assessments are to a very high standard."
Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick said the government would liaise with key stakeholders, including the taxi industry, to develop a response to the report.
The state government recently released a draft Taxi Strategic Plan that includes requiring taxi drivers to display photo identification and customer feedback numbers clearly in cabs, creating shared taxi service areas between the Brisbane, Ipswich and Redcliffe zones and requiring new taxi drivers to meet the national minimum English standard and to undertake training in core driver competencies through a registered training organisation.
The government was also working with the federal government to develop national training standards.
Mr Brown said he was confident the state government would implement his recommendations.
Taxi Council of Queensland chief executive Blair Davies was uncontactable.
Source; brisbanetimes.com.au
Note from Brummie Cabbie; If you want to read the full 110 page report click here:
A Report Into The Taxi Industry
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