City council mulls abolition of location parts of ‘knowledge’ test for private hire drivers

A report to a meeting of its Public Safety and Protection Committee this week (3 June) from Carl Knights, senior licensing officer, said applicants for a private hire driver licence must at present pass a knowledge test that includes details of numerous city landmarks and amenities.

The report said: “Concerns have been raised that sections of the test are no longer relevant. All private hire journeys are pre-booked, and the vast majority of drivers rely on satellite navigation devices. As such the current requirement to know the location of certain premises or roads is outdated.”

It said 133 private hire tests had been undertaken since the start of the year, which only eight people passed.

“The level of detailed local knowledge required to pass the test is significant and represents a significant barrier to entering the trade,” Knights said.

He said Department for Transport guidance “and the significant advancements of satellite navigation technology since the test was first introduced [meant] officers recommend that the topographical knowledge sections are removed from the test”.

The remaining sections of the test would be as follows:

• Safety (including child sexual exploitation)
• General road safety and how to calculate change
• Policy and legislation
• Equality

The report said that in addition to the retention of these sections, officers recommended the sections are strengthened with a wider range of questions and topics which support the aim of the legislation to ensure the safety of the travelling public.

Examples given were disability awareness issues, planning routes using navigation devices, conflict avoidance and what to do if racially abused or being subjected to other abusive comments or hate speech.

The report said officers considered that the amendments to the private hire knowledge test would make the test more relevant to the trade. "It would ensure applicants had a good understand of their role and responsibilities as a licensed private hire driver and therefore ensure the safety of the travelling public."

Mark Smulian