Taxi Driver Online

Leeds Cabbies Face 'The Knowledge' Test

26th August 2008

Getting into a minicab to find the driver doesn't know where he is going is a growing problem in Leeds.

Now a new 'knowledge' test for private hire drivers is due to be put before councillors next month in a bid to tackle the problem.

Of the 5,000 private hire drivers working in Leeds, only 2,700 live in the city.

Some 1,600 commute from Bradford, with the rest coming from Kirklees, Sheffield and even Middlesbrough.

An increasing number of passengers in Leeds have made complaints to Leeds City Council's taxi and private hire licensing section about private hire drivers who don't know their way around the city.

The new proposals, put together by enforcement officers, include:

• A local knowledge test done on a computer screen with an electronic map of Leeds. The driver will have to correctly identify areas using a multiple choice handset;
• A places of interest test – including identifying where the Crown Court, Town Hall and museums can be found;
• Questions where the driver has to use an A-Z map of Leeds to find a certain street and answer what places of interest are on that road.

There are also plans to make all new drivers take an NVQ (B-Tec) in taxi and private hire skills.

At present private hire applicants attend a seminar outlining the relevant legislation and licensing conditions but there is no testing.

A report detailing the new testing scheme says: "The training and how it is delivered and tested has been welcomed by private hire operators and the Hackney Carriage Association during the consultation and development process."

Leeds City Council's principal licensing officer, Des Broster, said: "We get a lot of complaints about some drivers."

"They're either deliberately not listening to the training that's being given already or they're not understanding it. The new test is not as detailed as the London Knowledge test but it will require people to have a certain level of knowledge of the geography of Leeds.

"If you are not from Leeds you will have to study. If you are from Leeds you will still have to pay attention when taking the test."

All new private hire drivers will have to take the tests as well as any existing drivers who have complaints made against them to the council.

The proposals go before a licensing and regulatory panel on September 2.


Source; Yorkshire Evening Post

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
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Errm is that quote right?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Yes it is; double checked it with the source material on the Internet.

_________________
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.

I hope the test includes that they must not pick up without a booking.
I drove a mini bus for a party of locals who needed a driver to take them to a rave in a warehouse in Leeds in March and it was shocking to see how many drivers just picked up anyone who asked.
This went on for the 8 hours I was there.
The same thing happened on the 1st of Jan when I brought the same party to the Mission there.
I tried to talk to some of them but gave up as they could hardly speak English and they where mainly Asians

Nice to know on the basis of complaints about 'some' drivers they're bringing in a new system......why not catch the 'some'? (radical thought I know)

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Pity they cant also test their grasp of BASIC english

This is all hot air from the council....they said about 12 months ago that all new applicants were to sit a english exam, to iinclude oral skills, written and reading exams, numeracy, and a knowledge test all done independantly at the Thomas Danby college here in Leeds. So as far as this story goes, OLD NEWS, i'm afraid. As to the comments from you guys above, i'll try to answer them one by one,

Pity they cant also test their grasp of BASIC english >>>>> as said above, all 'new' applicants should have been going thro this exam based thing for at least the last 12 months, doesn't help with the ones that have already got a badge

Nice to know on the basis of complaints about 'some' drivers they're bringing in a new system......why not catch the 'some'? (radical thought I know) >>>>>>> our licensing department are about as proactive as a kick in the knackers, they do nowt, the problem is that there are so many drivers that don't have a clue that are already licensed, the supposed 'new' rules are like shutting the gate once the horse has bolted.

I hope the test includes that they must not pick up without a booking.
I drove a mini bus for a party of locals who needed a driver to take them to a rave in a warehouse in Leeds in March and it was shocking to see how many drivers just picked up anyone who asked.
This went on for the 8 hours I was there.
The same thing happened on the 1st of Jan when I brought the same party to the Mission there.
I tried to talk to some of them but gave up as they could hardly speak English and they where mainly Asians >>>>>> the problem here lies with the licensing department, conspicuous by their absense, the p/h drivers have no consequences to picking up illegally, they aren't bothered, it's the chance they take, if i was to point it out i get told to [edited by admin] off and what will happen???? NOTHING, and yes, at least 80%+ of the drivers here in Leeds are asian, many speak very very poor English, although a fair few of course are very clear in English


There is a major struggle going on in Leeds of a night time, private hire seem to run amok, but the hackneys are trying to fight back to a certain extent, we are offered little protection from the council, we don't want special treatment, just a fair and level playing field, until the ramifications for being caught illegally plying/touting are severe enough to make the p/h driver think twice, then this is going to go on unchecked, which I expect is going on in all your areas???? Yes??

Check out >>>>>>>http://www.uniteleeds.com the website to do with getting the Leeds hackney drivers a fair deal

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best regards