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Council to assist taxi drivers' bid for licence
TAXI drivers in Wansbeck are being driven round the bend when trying to apply for the licence which proves they are safe on the roads.
Hackney carriage and private hire taxis have been subject to taking and passing a Driving Standards Agency (DSA) driving standards theory test since its introduction three years ago, but now Wansbeck Council aim to improve the scheme following complaints from drivers.
Originally the requirement for taking the theory test was due to a taxi driver gaining seven points on his licence, or to assess the standard of driving and road knowledge before permitting a driver with a taxi licence.
But now drivers are saying that the system is flawed, claiming:
• Waiting times for test appointments are too long and can take weeks to organise;
• There has been an increase of test fees, which have risen by 25 per cent to £58 for a saloon car;
• There is also the inability to employ drivers, which is impacting on trade.
However, new recommendations made by the district council say that if a driver fails the test first time, Wansbeck Council will offer them the chance to retake it for a fee of £20, should they fail the second time they will be required to take a DSA driving test.
Drivers can expect to answer questions which relate to the conditions of their licence as well as questions on road signs and markings based on the Highway Code.
It is proposed that drivers will answer 34 questions with the obligation of getting 30 of them correct.
Twenty questions will require a written answer and ten will require the driver to identify hazards from pictures.
Coun David Nicholson said: "Standards of service delivered by taxis and private hire vehicles to Wansbeck community is highly regarded and the introduction some time ago of tests did a great deal to drive up services.
"The difficulties that have been caused by the Driving Standards Agency has led us to make changes in the testing regime and all drivers have committed themselves to rigorous monitoring to ensure that these changes do not cause any deterioration in the quality of services and safeguards for the public."
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
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