Licensing issues remain the same whether you are north or south of the border, and one Scottish Highlands authority is considering introducing a knowledge test for private-hire drivers following complaints they don’t know basic routes and destinations.
Currently, only taxi drivers licensed by Highland Council must take the test, which assesses their knowledge of routes and destinations, as well as the rules of the road. They are now calling for private-hire drivers to be held to the same standards.
Concerns
Gavin Johnston, owner of Inverness Taxis, told Professional Driver magazine that private hire drivers’ local knowledge should be better.
He added that some new drivers did not know “simple” destinations around Inverness, such as Raigmore Hospital or the airport.
“We’ve seen a lot of people relocating here to become a private hire driver in the past few years. I would like to see the drivers coming to the area to be a bit more equipped to do the job. The driver needs to have basic knowledge of major areas.”
Licensing authorities
It is up to the individual licensing authorities whether private hire drivers have to take the knowledge test. Currently, those licensed by Highland Council, Dundee and West Lothian do not need to, while those in Aberdeen, Perth and Kinross and Angus do.
Members of The Highland Council’s Licensing Committee have now launched a public consultation before deciding whether to introduce knowledge testing for private-hire drivers it licenses.
The consultation ends on Monday and seeks the views of taxi and private-hire drivers, taxi operators, as well as the public.
Deferred decision
It is not the first time the issue of knowledge testing has been raised in relation to private-hire drivers.
In 2016, the council’s licensing committee deferred a decision on the issue but, “following concerns raised by stakeholders and the trade, the Highland Licensing Committee is now revisiting the 2016 decision”.
The consultation asks whether knowledge testing should be required only in the case of applicants for a new private-hire badge, meaning existing holders are exempt from the test when they come to renew their badges, of if it should apply to everyone.
It also asks whether the test should be identical to the two-part knowledge test used for taxi drivers.
Test
In its current format, the knowledge tests a driver’s understanding of the highway code. It includes multiple-choice questions such as the shortest routes between destinations, the locations of landmarks and the locations of popular destinations and attractions.
It also asks candidates to name the streets restaurants, takeaways, cafes, museums and galleries are located in, as well as explaining the route between different destinations.
Taxi and private-hire drivers must uphold the high standards of the industry and if some are unable to meet them, it is up to the licensing authority to step in. This can be on an individual level with advice, warnings or badge suspensions.
Alternatively, in cases such as this where an issue is believed to be more widespread, better training needs to be introduced to deliver the same standards to passengers whether they are in a taxi or private-hire car.
