Cabbies to be helped with tests in bid to ease city’s driver shortage

LESS THAN half of people who want to become taxi drivers in York pass the city’s tests, and councillors have agreed to change the way they are run to help citybased drivers get their licences.

Out-of-town cabs flock to York and its a lucrative market, coun- cillors have heard, and but the council’s tough tests mean it is extremely difficult for York firms to recruit enough new drivers.

Michael Dunn, from the city’s second largest taxi firm York Cars, urged the city council’s gambling, licensing and regula- tory committee to help people get through the tests.

He said “dozens” of out of area cars come to York every day because there was high demand and money to be made. Local firms like his struggle to meet demand as costly and tough tests – includ- ing a “knowledge” test about city streets and questions about pedestrian zones – deter possible recruits, he added.

The current pass rate is just 30 per cent, and even after five possible resits only 50 per cent of applicants get through. The tests cover five topics, but figures show most applicants fall down at plotting routes around the city and knowing about licence conditions.

Head of public protection Matt Boxall told councillors they were not being asked to “dumb down” the tests, but to help more people meet the York authority’s high standards. In turn this should help drive up standards across the city, he added. Papers show his department is looking at giving out example tests to help people prepare.