Taxi Driver Online

Your Taxi Awaits Sire

31st July 2008

Cabbies in Manchester are being given lessons in etiquette in a bid to improve their image.

They are being taught how to treat customers with courtesy and respect - from basic manners, to opening cab doors, time keeping and what to wear.

More than 60 hackney and private hire drivers have so far passed the free NVQ course at Northenden College, which has been running for just under a year and is funded by the government.

It teaches all the essential skills for being a cabbie, with a focus on customer care and helping vulnerable passengers. Ian Murray, who runs Manchester firm Mr Blackcab, was so impressed with the course he sent all 45 drivers on his books and now plans to become a teacher himself.

He is also calling for the course to become a condition of being granted a licence, as it is in Bournemouth.

Ian, 66, said: "Our trade has suffered from indifference and a couldn't care less attitude within the past few years.

"We hope to begin to put that right by going back into the classroom.

"We want to return to the attitude of the 70s, raising the standard of care and satisfaction the travelling public should expect when they get into a cab.

"As a company, we've really struggled to find reliable drivers, ones that you can simply call with a job and you know it will be done correctly.

"The 45 we have found have about 1,000 years experience between them.

I've been in the trade more than 30 years myself, but we all learnt things we didn't know on the course."

Mr Murray says about a dozen of his drivers are applying to become teachers. They are also taking sign language courses and arranging first aid training with St John Ambulance.

The NVQ Level 2 course aims to raise standards, even among polite, hardworking cabbies.

Course tutor Colin Jenkins said: "I always say to the drivers, imagine it's your own mother in the back of your cab and treat the customer accordingly.

"We want drivers to be approaching a chauffer-level of service.

"The course focuses on customer care with a special emphasis on vulnerable groups, such as people with special needs and disabilities.

"We can be their only mode of transport, so it is importantly they are properly looked after."

The seven-week course, with one three-hour session each week, also explains the regulations drivers must adhere to, with more than 50 Acts of Parliament relating to taxis.

They're also taught how to manage difficult situations, such as drunk passengers; health and safety, and dress.

"We'd like drivers to wear trousers and a shirt with a collar," said Colin.

"When they start the course, some drivers are reluctant, but they leave wanting to provide a better service.

"I always say you start to generate your tip before you open the door."

Taxi drivers currently face a test to prove they can chat with passengers in English and do basic sums. But Ian Murray believes the NVQ should be compulsory.

George Simms, of the Taxi Owners and Drivers' Association, said: "That could present some difficulties.

"What with the economy and fuel prices, we're struggling for numbers of drivers at the moment, and this could put some off.

"But the course is still very good. When you go into a bank and are treated with courtesy, that's generally because the staff have been trained. It doesn't always just come naturally."

A Manchester council spokesman said: "Last year, we commissioned an independent survey into Manchester's taxi service, which looked at the views of both the trade and members of the public. One thing which emerged from that survey was that more training for taxi drivers was needed.

"We support anything that enables the city's taxi drivers to provide a better service to their customers, and we're currently in discussion with the trade and training providers to make sure drivers have access to the best possible training.

"However, at this stage there are no plans to make it a mandatory requirement of being granted a taxi licence.

For more information about the course call Colin on 0161 9354064.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
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When debating on the TDO Forum.

When it becomes mandatory it looses its funding.

So we really don't want that do we.

The other thing is that in order to suceed with an NVQ you need to provide underpinning knowedge and draw on actual experience ........... so the licence needs to come before the NVQ.

I support a Nationally recognised VRQ qualification which provides the underpinning knowedge PRIOR to a person becoming licensed but comes at a cost to applicants of NEW licenses.

That underpinning knowledge can then be used within the FREE NVQ which should be voluntary to existing drivers.

I would add that if a persons conduct brought them before licensing committee then that committee could order the person to take the NVQ to assure them of their fitness and propriety ............... far more beneficial than a suspension.

B. Lucky

_________________
"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

I pose the question, does any cab driver have the moral or legal right to tell or advise other cab drivers how they should conduct any aspect of their "own" business and how they should dress? I have my doubts whether Manchester city council will go as far as to tell those Asian cab drivers who dress in pantaloons and smocks that in future they must wear a shirt and tie.

http://www.mrblackcab.co.uk/Photo%20Gallery.htm



So 45 of these 60 applicants came from the network of drivers that do wedding contracts and private hire bookings under the guise of Mr Blackcabs.

I suppose Mr Murray hasn't seen the proposals of the "meetings of minds" bunch, I suggest someone might wish to advise him that pretty soon he and his colleagues won't be able to receive mobile phone bookings and that both he and them will need a private hire operators license if they are to take wedding bookings at their mandatory licensed address. I wonder how long his fledgling business will last if these proposed changes to legislation ever come into force?

Regards

JD

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Tut, tut tut Mr JD!

Fancy calling traditional Asian men's wear 'pantaloons and smocks'.

There are three types of 'pantaloons and smocks'

There's the Galabiyya as modelled in this link;

http://www.shukr.co.uk/Merchant2/mercha ... -galabiyya

Then there's the Moroccan as modelled in this link;

http://www.shukr.co.uk/Merchant2/mercha ... n-moroccan

And then there's the Shalwar Kameez (aka SK for short) as modelled in this link;

http://www.shukr.co.uk/Merchant2/mercha ... ode=men-sk

Personally I can't see the difference between the Galabiyya and the Moroccan; can you?

Down here in Brum, we call them pyjamas or jymjams. And we will commonly refer to a driver as Pyjamas Smith or Jymjams Jones, if you get my drift.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

That's very true & I don't know how some councils &/or training institutions are getting round this.




What a good idea. Again those that persevere with the course & get through it are showing commitment to becoming a licensed driver.




Another good idea, & one that I believe Birmingham are looking at.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

By operating outside of regognised guidelines. I know of one institution who is advising the awarding bodies and funding sourses of these activities and I think you will find that they soon stop with awards issued by "suspect" providers being nulified.



Well its a bit more than that with the VRQ. We highlight the "un-written" local rules .... and we have discussions with local ethnic groups to make new applicants aware of any specific needs.

What we want to do is turn out taxi drivers ................ not just people who drive taxis.



Thanks ....................... but I must stress that the drivers who conduct their business in a professional manner and to a high standard SHOULD NEVER EVER BE FORCED TO UNDERTAKE AN NVQ OR ANY OTHER KIND OF ASSESSMENT to prove their worth.

I'm always willing to discuss the finer points over the phone ............ just send me a personal message with your number on and I will call you, or I will send you mine if you want to call me.

B. Lucky

_________________
"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

oh yeah Mr JD is a right old funny person, once he was scammed by some asian taxi driver, obviously his plate value would also suffer if the asians did not invest in his market, in fact jd is definetley not color blind, but you never hear him refer to himself as a white or black taxi driver

We, as a mutual company, insist on a dress code and discipline drivers for transgression of the company's rules and regulations.

Other copanies in the area do likewise, AFAIK.

If they wish to work with us, they comply with our requirements.

I agree that only the LA can conceivably set standards for 'independents.'