Taxi drivers want exam axed

Source: Thisisleicestershire.co.uk

Three Loughborough drivers had their licences suspended in February for refusing to take the £120 course.

The council told all cabbies in 2006 they had three years to get the qualification, and made all new applicants take the course.

Zaher and Pyrarali Zamani and Martin Thornber were suspended when they refused and took the council to court.

A judge overturned their ban while awarding legal costs of more than £5,713 against the borough council.

After the hearing their solicitor, David Leigh, said: “They did not see any merit in paying £120 to take a course they did not think would make them any better at jobs they have years of experience doing.

“Having seen some of the questions that make up the exam, I am not surprised. They are ridiculously easy.

“One of my clients did not do the course but took the exam and got 100%. You only need 45% to pass, so I think that tells you the value of the qualification. Anyone who doesn’t pass this is not fit for anything, let alone driving a cab.”

Only Charnwood and Bournemouth borough councils have made it compulsory for drivers to have the Btec.

Mr Leigh said: “Councils are hardly queuing up to follow their lead, probably because it is pointless and unpopular. Some 400 cabbies in Charnwood have, however, had to pay out £120.”

The suspension of the three drivers was put on hold while the appeal was being sorted and they can now carry on driving without the threat of being forced from their jobs.

Zaher Zamani, of A1 Taxis in Loughborough, said: “I’m glad the judge supported our position. We should never have been suspended and we should never have had to come to court.”

Noel Bertram, spokesman for Charnwood Taxi Association, has passed the exam but believes it is not needed. He said: “In most cases it’s teaching grandma to suck eggs and it’s about time the council dropped this.”

Council licensing manager Malcolm Burton said: “The policy isn’t changing and it won’t be changing.

“The judge did not attack the policy. He made his ruling on whether it was right to suspend the three drivers. We are taking legal advice on whether to appeal against his decision.

“Drivers who take the Btec learn very valuable things like how to manage disabled customers properly.

”It is helpful and we think the public needs to know drivers have a certain standard of professionalism.

“I can’t say much about the questions. We don’t set them. They are written by the trade for the trade.”

Leicester taxi drivers do not have to pass any exams to get a licence but more than 130 have voluntarily taken an NVQ2 in road passenger vehicle driving.

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