ROUND THE COUNCILS SWINDON:
GLASGOW: SAFEGUARDING COURSE INTRODUCED
Taxi drivers in Swindon will be instructed to take an online safeguarding training course as a condition of their licence. There are several hundred licensed hackney carriages and private hire drivers who will have six months in which to get certificated. Swindon Borough Council’s head of regulatory services, Kate Bishop, told members of the authority’s licensing panel she was asking for its agreement to change the licensing policy. She said: “The advice from government is that licensing authorities should provide guidance to drivers and require them to take training in safeguarding vulnerable people. “At the moment this council has one page of guidance in the driver’s handbook – we feel we should now require drivers to do the training.” Ms Bishop said the council required new drivers to undergo a £36 online course, with the training being valid for the length of their three-year licence. If a driver renews a licence, they have to do the training again.
She added: “That leaves a cohort of about 800 to 900 drivers who haven’t been through the training. If the committee agrees we propose to require these drivers to take the training by the end of March 2024. And then all drivers will have to renew the training on renewal of their licence.” One member Fay Howard asked whether Ms Bishop had seen or undergone the training, and she said both she and the licensing manager had, adding: “It raises awareness of the signs of someone being vulnerable and gives you the confidence to either address that or report it if you recognise the signs. There’s also a specific part about CSE.” Chairman of the committee John Ballman said: “It works out at £12 per year, or 20p per week. It seems a very sensible investment in the drivers’ business.” The committee also approved a change which would require a driver who is arrested or comes to the attention of the police for some reason, to report that to the council within 24 hours of release. Cllr Junab Ali said: “Can we ask the police to inform us of this? If they don’t, and the driver doesn’t tell us, we could be facing a very serious incident.” Cllr Ali was told it wasn’t possible to mandate this as it’s the council’s responsibility and it would be possible that a driver doesn’t tell the police.
20 KNOWLEDGE TEST TO STAY
Would-be hackney carriage drivers in Glasgow will still need to sit a topographical test to ensure they “know the city like the back of their hand”. Licensing chiefs have decided to keep the knowledge test after a public consultation revealed 76% of respondents believed it remained relevant. However, the questions will be updated every three years and tests will now be completed digitally to cut the time potential drivers have to wait for their results. Drivers who have left the trade will not need to sit a new test if they return within ten years. Cllr Alex Wilson who chairs the licensing committee, had previously thought the test was “no longer fit for purpose” but he has “reviewed” his position. “We can all use Sat Nav,” he said. “However, we’ve got the best drivers anywhere who know the city like the back of their hand. It’s not just a case of getting from A to B. Our drivers are able to identify landmarks going round the city, I think that’s really important. Applicants for a taxi driver’s licence - which also allows them to drive private hires - have been required to sit a test in person, in writing, in the city chambers under exam conditions. They received the result once the test had been marked by a licensing official. From January, tests will be carried out digitally, although but still under the supervision of officials. Cllr Wilson said: “I think it’s very, very important that our drivers are not discouraged by having to wait three or four weeks for a test result. I think the questions should be updated, the city does change rapidly which should be reflected in the questions asked.” He added the test is “relevant in terms of customer service” and “setting our black hack trade apart from the private hire trade”. Consultation was carried out after the council’s licensing section “received comment from the taxi trade in relation to the topographical test and whether or not it remained relevant”. In total, there were 840 responses with 58% from members of the public and 21% from currently licensed taxi drivers. Those who believed the test was no longer relevant said drivers were able to use Sat Nav. Results show that 75% of respondents believed the test’s 100 questions “remained appropriate”, while those who disagreed argued street names had changed, the test needed to be updated and the number of questions was too high.
SEPTEMBER 2023 PHTM
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