Taxi Driver Online

Cab firm steps up EU workers hunt

Pronunciation is part of the test for taxi drivers

A Plymouth-based taxi firm is expanding its training school in the Czech Republic to recruit European drivers.

Taxifast, which has more than 70 Czech drivers, says it cannot find enough English people to do the work.

The company is now training Polish and Slovakian recruits at its base in Prague to work in Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton and Yeovil.

Drivers, who take a four-week knowledge style test, are being seduced by wages often more than four times local rates.

The average salary ... is about £200 a month, but in Plymouth I will have £400 to £500 a week

Ondrej Sokol

Taxifast says local workers are put off by unsociable working hours and has been recruiting in Prague for the last two years.

Derek Merry, Taxifast's head of European recruitment, said: "We find it difficult to reach the numbers of drivers we require in Plymouth.

"Now that Prague's economy is booming, the firm is looking to Poland and Slovakia."

The firm is now expanding and recruiting drivers for other firms in towns and cities, including Swindon, Newcastle and Inverness.

University graduate Ondrej Sokol, 25, from Slovakia, said: "The average salary in my part of Slovakia is about £200 a month, but in Plymouth I will have £400 to £500 a week left after deductions."

Tucked away in a tiny corner of Prague, the would-be taxi drivers are tested on the Plymouth knowledge.

Strict rules are enforced including hygiene, dress and hairstyle and they are vetted for previous convictions.

After they leave the training centre in Prague, they will complete another five weeks training in Plymouth before starting work.

Although all recruits have to be English speakers, pronunciation can be a problem, especially when drivers have not been to the UK.

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

I wonder if Mr Merry has thought about contacting every single licensing authority and asking them about their local conditions of license?

I wonder if he does he'll point out the various bits and pieces of European Law which the government has signed up to allowing free movement of workers.

I wonder is a local authority tell him (thats if he emails them), that local conditions state a driver has to hold a UK driving license for at least one year, he'll start on about the human rights act.

I wonder how many hours per week a driver has to work to earn £400 to £500 per week, I wonder if that includes tax and insurance deductions or is the driver self employed?

I wonder.

Captain Cab

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

Not forgetting the undetected criminals that will flow in, because as we all know there was'nt really a civil war over there with thousands of war criminals (who murdered hundreds of thousands) looking for an outer?

What better way? Come to England and drive a PH, [edited by admin] up the locals wages, and place the customer base in potential danger!

Still i'm sure the GMB will sort it out. EH

Or even a taxi when he gets plates.

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IDFIMH

they are all self employed. also all have UK medical, local and euro type CRB check, and DSA type driving test.

although seeing the way some of them drive i'm clueless to how they pass that one

as posted elsewhere;

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/modgov?modgo ... %3BVer%3D4

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/modgov?modgo ... %3BVer%3D4

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/modgov?modgo ... %3BVer%3D4

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/modgov?modgo ... %3BVer%3D4

there seems to be an awful lot of people appearing in front of Plymouth council with foreign sounding names, I wonder how many were of foreign birth?

one more thing, 3 day suspensions? I though the LA's decision was based on the fitness and propriety of the driver, how can they say after 3 days he's fit and proper again?

Captain Cab

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

We had an influx of bus drivers from Poland 32 in all, and every one has had some form of accident, One was clocked at 70mph on the A7 I did not know that a 1964 double Decker could move so fast. with passengers
One of the drivers decided he wanted to become a taxi driver he managed to get his badge, and lasted 4 days he crashed the cab with a disabled child on board while doing school contracts, the child was very lucky to escape with minor bruising but it should never have happened in the first place.
so if you decide to employ drivers from Poland and alike put a speed limiter on the cab
I think there driving test consists of how fast they can get from A to B without the wheels being nicked

I think we better watch out skippy, they're going there next;



Because it looks like the Czech's have priced themselves out of the market



Captain Cab

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

They were good on the Spitfires though.

We now have around 100 working for Taxif**t, they drive like maniacs (1 customer clocked the driver doing 90 in a 30!!), and they would be lost without their satnav.

Had a customer last week who witnessed one of their MANY accidents, at the time of the accident the driver could not understand any english, and when she was contacted by the solicitor for the injured party, she was told that the taxi driver did not have a licence or insurance, which makes me wonder if they are bringing their mates over to drive the cars while they are sleeping.

As for how much they earn, John Pr**ce charges them 160per week circuit rent, 100+ per week for the car on top of that he claws back so much per week for training them plus he rents houses to them. so I recon they need 500 per week before they start earning for themselves.

Well what did i say above

Yes Agga,

But aint these people earning £1K per week?

How many pennies per mile do drivers average? so I can work out the fuel costs (I presume they rent vehicles)?

What you say about drivers not speaking english seems contrary to the hype sent out by Dunross.

Sounds like you need a verbal knowledge test in Plymouth.

CC

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

Maybe you should point this out to your boss then steveo.

It is afterall him that's bringing them over.

it has been mentioned but while he's making money from them in office rent, car rent, house rent and repaying their training and ticket over here.

most of them are OK, they all seem to want to come over here for a couple of years and then go back to their home country with enough cash to buy a house outright. I dont blame them, if i had the chance to go to another country for a while and earn four times what i could over here, id' been there in a flash.

but its not just taxi work, you just need to pick up a newspaper to see there hundreds of thousand of eastern europeans coming to the UK for work.

it has been mentioned but while he's making money from them in office rent, car rent, house rent and repaying their training and ticket over here, it just falls on deaf ears.

most of them are OK, they all seem to want to come over here for a couple of years and then go back to their home country with enough cash to buy a house outright. I dont blame them, if i had the chance to go to another country for a while and earn four times what i could over here, id' been there in a flash.

but its not just taxi work, you just need to pick up a newspaper to see there hundreds of thousand of eastern europeans coming to the UK for work.