Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies set to face English tests

THOUSANDS of city taxi and private hire drivers may be required to pass an English test to keep their licences. Councillors are pressing for a new round of checks after receiving a wave of complaints from passengers who can't communicate with drivers.

Compulsory English tests for newcomers applying to join the ranks of Birmingham's 1,500 cabbies and 4,500 private hire drivers were introduced four years ago. But they have just been toughened up after a driver who had passed them appeared at council hearings with an interpreter.

Coun Nigel Dawkins, a member of the city's licensing committee, has told his colleagues that the problem still remains. "There are still drivers out there whose grasp of English is barely comprehensible. Recently we had one before us whose lack of English had provoked complaints from the public. "He got his private hire licence five years ago before the test was introduced and came before us with an interpreter."

Coun Dawkins said the problem was primarily one with private hire drivers as opposed to cabbies. He is asking the committee to check the communication skills of all drivers who were licensed before the English tests were introduced.

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IDFIMH

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IDFIMH

just send in good old boris

So did this council "know best" then, or does it just "know best" now?

Or perhaps it's just completely clueless?

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

At least Birmingham are not sweeping the issue under the table as some councils might but in reality it should never have got this far. I ask the question should the public be entitled to communicate with the driver in English, regardless of what vehicle they drive? Obviously many licensing authorities believe command of the English language need not be a barrier to entry.

Regards

JD

CC

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

That's a question for captain cab, I think the council thought they new best when they first gave this person and probably many others like him, a license.

When the council started getting numerous complaints from passengers not being able to communicate with drivers they realised that the policy of issuing licenses without needing a command of the English language was wrong.

The council then set in place a simple English test, which they now also believe, is inadequate.

That's twice they got it wrong so perhaps they might get it right this time?

As always, according to those who represent the provincial Taxi trade, "councils know best". That's why they have never "really" pushed for quality driver controls on a national basis and probably never will.

Regards

JD

So councils don't know best then.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

so what do you mean by that?

The LA are addressing the issue aint they?

CC

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

I think conditions are evolving.

However, its reasonable to suggest a lot of LA's are awaiting best practice guidance, and at the same time worried about being PC.

Councils getting complaints from passengers always seem to result in changes, and I think you know this already.

CC

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

I hope so because they need to.



Agree but its bad news when the public have to suffer because of political correctness and where does that leave your theory that councils know best?



I'm not so sure we can call them the "winds of change" perhaps more of a mild breeze. When it takes six or seven years to get simple basic quality controls right then something is definately not right.

Regards

JD

About time.

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stressed controller!!!

So how did the manage to get into the situation in the first place? I mean, allowing interpreters

But my point was that JD was clearly implying that other LAs were deficient as regards this issue, and you applauded this.

Thus you clearly think that some councils don't know best, despite your more general claims to the contrary.

Of course, I hardly needed to point this out, but this councils know best nonsense is merely a piece of empty rhetoric, which means: councils know best when the do what I want them to.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Errm possibly because in Birmingham there is a high percentage of people that dont have English as a first language and this in line with an LA that may have either as legal department that is trying to be PC.

or perhaps the LA believed bringing in such a test would be frowned upon by elements of the community / voters.



Nope, I appaluded JD's statement stating the issue shouldnt be swept under the carpet.



You seem to be making assumptions about what I am thinking.



Of course you did need to point it out, because you wanted to make the statement.

CC

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

J D . Do you honestly think that governments know best, or even the DFT , I have found from personal experience that the DFT are not all that they're cracked up to be, it needs the trade associations working together to take forward the issues that need to be implemented, language tests, CRB checks to the same standard, why should it be a different standard for someone from Poland.. in my opinion the best practice guidelines should be formulated by the taxi and private hire trade/ including licensing officers.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!