Cabbies to take tests on English

Cabbies to take tests on English
By John Roberts
NEW taxi drivers in Leeds will have to pay to take an English and numeracy test before being granted a licence.
It follows concerns from the public, councillors and the taxi trade in Leeds that some drivers working in the city struggled to speak, write or read English.

Now all new applicants will have to sit a test which will involve understanding what has been said, reading basic sentences, writing a receipt for customers and answering simple maths questions.

The new test will only apply to new applicants and will not affect existing hackney carriage and private hire drivers unless there has been a "substantiated complaint" made and it is decided a driver needs to take the test.

The test is aimed at taxi drivers who do not have English as a first language and is expected to be a similar standard to the British Citizenship test.

Leeds Council had originally planned to allow new applicants to take the test free of charge, however it will now cost them £15. The tests will be carried out by Thomas Danby College in Leeds

A report to the authority's Licensing and Regulatory Panel meeting this week said the fee had to be introduced because of changes to the way the Government funded English language courses.

Thomas Danby College can now only provided training where funding is available.

However if applicants fail they can access a free Skills for Life training programme.

There are currently 4,200 private hire drivers in the Leeds district.

I agree with Leeds, I think that it would be a lot better for the trade in general if we All had english tests, it may be, would stop the amount of trouble that we are having from passengers if the drivers could speak proper english.

Da reight der English, If dem wot cant speke england wanna job ler em lern langwage first
Den de got tu lurn ta drive reight.
ps why do people from Chessy call Sheffielders De dars?

Nar den dee adder o reight dee o wot.

I'm still learnin my Englandish.
Berrer no' take that test if you wana keep that badge then English

Eh up Aftab me old flower, We r reight dar nos TX Ian is reight, Dis nowt wrong wit reight geessers dar nos, wots reight is reight init r kid c dee reight mucker