New Private Hire drivers will no longer have to take the ‘Knowledge of Plymouth’ test as part of a proposal to encourage more people into the trade and help the city’s night time economy.
Cabinet is being asked to remove the test requirement following a consultation earlier in the autumn which looked at changes to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.
They are also being asked to drop the requirement for green and white livery on Hackney Carriages, given the cost of living and the lack of appropriate vehicles available.
Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Libraries, Cemeteries and Crematoria said: “We had a good response from the trade and would like to thank them for their helpful input.
“We know, that like other areas of the local economy, that they have been hit hard by fuel prices and the cost of living. This is one of the reasons why we are no longer requiring taxis to have the green and white livery. While it was a great idea, the reality is getting the white vehicles needed proved too difficult and expensive.”
The knowledge of Plymouth test assesses drivers’ knowledge of the quickest available routes, venues, tourist destinations and popular locations as well as the law and conditions of licence and customer care. It is an exam taken under supervised exam conditions.
An error in the policy wording about the knowledge test only applying to hackney carriage drivers led to an increase in people applying to become licensed private hire drivers.
While there was less support from the trade about dropping the test, the Department of Transport recently issued best practice guidance which stated that given technology used by taxi operators, the test should be removed for private hire drivers as they know their planned route in advance.
Sally said: “We need more people in the trade. We need more drivers so that people feel they can get home after a great night out in Plymouth.
“We know there are bar and restaurant staff who struggle to get a ride home after an evening shift.
“We need to be more pragmatic and remove barriers to people becoming drivers – times have changed, drivers can use sat nav and apps on smart phones to help them navigate around our city. Modern dispatch systems send bookings direct to the drivers’ data pads, which have the inbuilt GPS navigation.”
The cabinet report highlights that the Council also considered the outcomes of the Violence Against Women and Girls Commission where it was reported that the reduced numbers of taxis and private hire had an impact on the perceived safety of women and girls.
Councillor Haydon added: “We are proud to have Purple Flag status, which recognises the fact this city is safe after dark, but being stuck for hours not being able to get home is not helping our residents or visitors.
“We hope these changes, if approved, will lead to more people becoming private hire drivers and help our residents as well as our pubs and restaurants.”
If Cabinet approve the proposals when they meet on January 8, the matter go to Full Council.
A number of other proposals were put forward as part of a review into the Council’s taxi and private hire policy. These will be considered in due course by the Licensing Committee.