ROUND THE COUNCILS
EAST HERTFORDSHIRE: CABBIES OBJECT TO NEW ENGLISH TESTS
Taxi drivers in East Hertfordshire say they feel “insulted and degraded” after claiming they’re being told by the council they must take an English competency test to renew their licence. According to HertsLive, the drivers said the stress of having to take the recently-introduced test has led to “sleepless nights”, with fears it could force some people out of the trade. East Hertfordshire District Council said the changes followed the introduction of new government guidance to maximise the safety of the public, and drivers had been consulted. However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has spoken to a number of drivers who were angry at the changes, and said other authorities had not applied the guidance so broadly. To become a licenced hackney carriage driver or a dual driver, the applicant is required to undertake a medical, enhanced DBS check, a driving test, and a knowledge test, as well as the new English proficiency test. For experienced drivers, that’s a test too far, with one driver who has worked in the area for 35 years saying: “I went through a couple of weeks just before I had done the test where I just didn’t sleep and I’m thinking ‘well I was good enough 35 years ago to give me a licence then all of a sudden bring this in’. He added: “It’s nothing that we would have to do, we don’t have to write, we don’t have to use punctuation, we just have a nice conversation with the customer if they want to talk. “There are no writing skills to be done with it, it just seems a bit of a waste of time to me.” The test includes sections on understanding conversations, completing and repeating sentences, as well as having to retype a sentence exactly as they hear it within 25 seconds and typing up a passage from memory. The drivers raised particular concerns with the typing aspects of the test, and said the time limits added extra stress. Drivers are able to take the test at any point, and multiple times if necessary, ahead of their renewal date but each attempt costs £50. Once the test has been passed it does not need to be renewed, and if someone has other qualifica- tions they are exempt. However, for those leaving the test until close to their renew- al date it could mean they risk losing their licence if they fail. Another driver said: “Why should a guy that’s worked on a taxi rank for 24 years suddenly have to turn up and say, ‘sorry I can’t do that because I can’t read or write’. How demeaning is that?” He added that he often serves as a first point of contact for safeguarding concerns or helping people get to appoint- ments - all of which can’t be assessed by an online exam. Other drivers said they found it “insulting and degrading”,
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and said it was brought in at “the worst possible” time following two years of lockdown. Another driver who has been working for 33 years has passed the test, but said he didn’t believe it was fair for the rules to be introduced retrospectively, and called for the council to grant grandfather rights for experienced drivers. He added: “Some of the guys I work with, they’re great cab drivers, lovely cars, nice guys and don’t get complaints but academically they’re worried about it, because now [the council] want you to use keyboard skills.” Cllr Jan Goodeve, executive member for planning and growth, said: “A lack of basic language skills could mean a driver can’t fully communicate with passengers or under- stand important written documents relating to the protection of children and vulnerable adults. “Public consultation started in East Herts in December 2020, including information sent directly to over 300 drivers. As a direct result of this, we changed our approach so that drivers who can show a suitable qualification demonstrating their English skills don’t have to sit the test. “We have continued to listen to drivers through meetings and one-to-one discussions, paying attention to their concerns. Our team has provided a wide range of financial, practical and emotional support, recognising what a difficult two years it has been. “We’ve seen many drivers successfully pass the test, includ- ing several who have not attended school or taken an exam for decades, people who don’t have English as their first language and individuals with hearing difficulties. “We continue to urge anyone with concerns to get in touch.”
NEWPORT: VEHICLE CHECKS CARRIED OUT IN CITY CENTRE
Police officers and Newport City Council inspectors carried out vehicle checks in Queensway in Newport city centre. The South Wales Argus reports that some 53 taxis were stopped during the road safety operation, which primarily targeted cab drivers who had breached their licensing terms. “This operation aims to tackle irresponsible taxi drivers who endanger others by not adhering to road safety regulations,” Gwent Police constable Miles Anderson said. The Gwent force said the recent crackdown was aimed at identifying and tackling those taxi drivers putting other motorists and passengers at risk. During the operation, three taxis were suspended from operating and reported for offences such as failing to meet the safety standards expected. “I would like to thank Newport City Council for their support on this operation, to support us to make the roads in our communities as safe as possible,” PC Anderson added, at the conclusion of the taxi licensing operation.
MARCH 2022
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