Cabbies face tough rules in Shropshire
Saturday 3rd December 2011, 11:02AM GMT.
Taxi drivers wanting to work in Shropshire are facing tough new tests to drive away outsiders using the county as an easy way to get a licence.
New drivers will be expected to show detailed knowledge of the county, be able to speak English and be able to show good driving and social skills. The move comes after Shropshire Council revealed that more than eight of ten applicants are from outside the county.
Many have no plans to work in the area but are applying here because of cheap fees.
The council has seen a 400 per cent jump in the number of applicants for hackney carriage – or taxi – licences in Shropshire.
Officials fear some applicants have no intention of working here, but are applying because the licence fee is cheaper and success will let them work as private hire drivers elsewhere.
The cost of a licence in Birmingham is £190 while in Shropshire it is £130.
The council will also be strengthening its enforcement rules to make sure drivers comply with the terms of their licence.
Twelve taxi carriage vehicle licensing applications went before Shropshire Council’s licensing and safety sub-committee yesterday.
Not one applicant lived in Shropshire; eleven lived in Birmingham and the twelfth was from Wolverhampton.
Between September 1 and October 31 there were 158 applications for taxi licences – up from just 40 in the same period last year.
In total there were 500 taxi applications, up from 264 in 2010.
To be awarded a blue badge, applicants must pass a criminal records check, medical, driving and DVLA checks and a knowledge test.
At present, 60 per cent of applicants fail the knowledge test, which is conducted in English.
It includes questions about the local area and also looks at the applicants’ mathematical ability and their understanding of the highway code.
Councillors want to limit the number resits, increase the number of questions from 27 to 40 and raise the pass rate from 70 to 80 per cent. The committee also recommended a £30 resit fee.
It is proposed that the test be amended to include more questions about the local area and a written test.
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
- The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff doesn't raise a smile
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
I think they should be made to sign an undertaking that they will work in the area for a least two years
Report abuse
A charge (refundable) should be made with the licence when they prove that they have complied with the conditions.
Report abuse
Utter tosh, have you signed such a contract for your employer? Are you only allowed to drive in the town where you took your driver test?
Report abuse
Actually, it’s not that unreasonable an idea ….
I would suggest it is very feasable that one of the primary licence conditions should be the applicant can only ply for trade within the boundaries of the relevant licencing authority – want to work in more than one area, apply for two (or more) licences then ….
And re other comments on this thread – annual CRB checks, a copy of which should be on display in the cab, should be mandatory.
Oohh, and the ability to use a hoover in a cab as well – last private hire vehicle I got into a few weeks back was disgusting
Report abuse
I sense this restriction on trade would likely infringe European law, in any other business if you have the appropriate qualifications you are able to apply for and carry out work.
If you look at the issue of shotgun and firearm licences, they are issued in one particular area and can be used elsewhere in the UK, so why not taxi driving?
Report abuse
Could we please see CRB checks too?
I believe there is one responsible taxi company in Shrewsbury does this but I think it should be mandated…..
Report abuse
Please get correct information before making such crass comments ! Regular CRB checks (costing the driver a further £30 plus) are done regularly and an application cannot even commence without one
Report abuse
Apologies if you think it is crass.
It was mentioned on a previous discussion that only one taxi company in Shrewsbury CRB checked it’s drivers.
If that is incorrect you can correct me without being insulting?
Report abuse
No taxi company CRB checks its drivers, the council do
Report abuse
What’s the problem? If Shropshire can rake in lots of cash for a pieces of paper, who cares?
Report abuse
Having been a taxi driver living and working in north shropshire for the last 12 years+ i am happy to learn of these tough new tests. There are to many outsiders and frankly not enough work to go around. There is one in particular in Whitchurch who can barely speak English and who massively overprice, I mean £40 to Market Drayton when I charge £16. Im sure the council knows about this and if not please do something about it.
Report abuse
“I mean £40 to Market Drayton when I charge £16″
Are taxis (Hackneys) not compelled to use a meter, whilst private cars can charge what they can get away with?
If I got into a taxi and the driver needed a satnav to find a local address, I’d get out again.
Report abuse
As for social skills, i am reminded that a few weeks ago,i reversed in to a space on Raby Crescent to allow a taxi driver to pass after
forcing his way through.There was no acknowledgement from the driver in fact he looked at me as if i was some piece of muck.
I thought this man should take some time to learn English courtesy an custom before using our roads.
Given his manner i certainly would not want
to travel in his taxi.
Report abuse
I don’t think we could single out cab drivers for bad driving manners; a fair proportion of other driver ‘types’ are equally as inconsiderate.
Report abuse
Well if people are coming in from as far away as Birmingham to apply for a licence in Shrewsbury / Shropshire then is it beyond the capabilities of the local authority to work out that their fees are too low ????
Increase your charges to a level equal to the rest of the region …. and maybe you could use the extra income to put towards the cost of collecting your residents cardboard ??????
Report abuse
i have worked for central taxis in telford for 14 years,there are to many cabs in this area already.They should stop issuing plates and badges all together, as theirs not enough work to go round now.The only people profiting from this high level of applicants is the council,but most of all the greedy operators praying on unempolyed people with false advertisements about unrealistic earning potential.
Report abuse
Surely one should have a basic litteracy aswell
Report abuse
(ITS a Joke)
Report abuse
“Surely one should have a basic litteracy aswell”
DO you mean “Surely one should have basic literacy as well” ?
Report abuse
that’s the joke! HAHA
Report abuse
I totally agree with richard heighways comments the only people to profit are the operators and the council and there are to many drivers on the road.
Report abuse
The language of England is English. The languages of the UK are English,Welsh and Celtic.I have discounted Cornish because only a handful of UK citizens remain alive who are able to understand it. Translating OUR language into the dozens of others for the benefit of immigrants who can’t be bothered to learn it wastes millions. Learn it…. Speak it….or leave is the only acceptable solution
Report abuse
Agreed. It was interesting to note that a recent Census in France was printed in just one language, yes you guessed it, French!
Report abuse
long overdue Shropshire’s licencing authority has been duplicitous for far too long and needs to increase its licensing fees in line with the rest of the country which shall profoundly resolve this issue . (Former Cabbie)
Report abuse
Firstly for clarification all drivers whom are licensed with either Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin Councils have to undergo a CRB check prior to their first licence being granted. This is then only granted providing the applicant is a fit and proper person. Theirafter private hire, hackney carriage or dual (both) licensed drivers must have a CRB check done every 3 years to ensure that they are still fit and proper to deal with the public and keep their licence. On the other issue relating to the increase in drivers, a simple solution would be to state that drivers have to live in the Shropshire area and prove via utility bills that they have done so for the last few years. This could also be done at the same time as the CRB Checks as utility bills have to be produced then to confirm the applicants address details.
Report abuse
Why does a driver have to live in Shropshire in order to carry out their business there, it is a restriction in trade which as someone else has already mentioned is against EU law.
Does this mean that someone from Codsall can’t own a shop in Albrighton, or a window cleaner from Malpas can’t have a round in Whitchurch?
You should net be so parochial,competition drives up standards and reduces costs for the customer which in my book is a good thing.
Report abuse
this just means higher fares for all then a tax on working people and those too poor to own a car especially the elderly
Report abuse
Barry, in reply to your response whilst competition is good I believe you are guilty of not fully understanding the complex situation of licensing hence your incorrect reference of parochial (narrow minded) to my comments. In order for a licensed driver to operate fairly, honestly, correctly and the vehicle to be kept in a good condition etc.. Their has to be licensing enforcement. How is a licensing team supposed to correctly do licensing enforcement on drivers and the vehicles licensed in their area if the driver and vehicle is operating with their plates some 30-40 miles away! That is why licensing is for different councils and currently not national (nor ever likely to be). VOSA on PSV vehicles is national (considerably less drivers and vehicles) but due to the vast amount of taxi/private hire drivers and vehicles this would be in difficult times way to costly and complex to do on the taxi and private hire industry. For example lets say a Birmingham driver decides to license his vehicle and himself with Shropshire and then goes to work back in Birmingham. This then makes it more than difficult for Shropshire licensing to check on both that driver on vehicle when he is working some 30+ miles away. Furthermore in Birmingham the local council are virtually powerless as the vehicle is licensed elsewhere and is therefore mostly outside their jurisdiction (Shropshire licensed driver & vehicle not Brimingham). Not quite as simple and straight forward as your example! You now understand why Shropshire or any other licensing department within a council would be concerned for Public Safety if drivers are going to license with them with no intention of working in or even near that area. Its a can of worms. It could be argued that drivers whom want to break the law and save money would license themselves and vehicles elsewhere to work considerable distance away so that they could be extremely difficult to enforce. Therefore getting away with overcharging, plying for hire, defective vehicles, dirty vehicles, etc..
Report abuse
There is one “local” company who employs out of town drivers, I have seen them regularly drive UP Pride Hill, with hazard lights on, using it as a shortcut, my partner was picked up by one of these taxi’s, the sat nav was faulty & he hadn’t a clue where he was.
Report abuse