Taxi driver George Gevorkian says good English and knowledge of Canterbury is important for cabbies

by Jamie Bullen

Taxi drivers in Canterbury could be forced to take tougher English language tests as part of strict new rules being considered by the council.

Cabbies also face a harder local knowledge exam and may be stopped from applying for a licence until they have lived or worked in the district for three years.

The new measures are being considered by the city council following concerns about language difficulties between drivers and passengers.

It is claimed some cabbies are not familiar with the district’s roads and need to use a sat nav when travelling to the most simple of destinations.

The council is in talks with the Canterbury and District Taxi Association about introducing the new rules later this year.

Association chairman Heather Sewell – who claims the current language test is “pathetic” – says it will ensure only the most suitable applicants are issued licences.

She said: “We have had many complaints from the public who want to go to simple destinations and are being asked for a post code. They are then being charged as the meter runs while the driver types it into his sat nav.

“There are a lot of foreign national drivers who are very nice and know the roads well, but many of them don’t and these changes will address that.

“They are designed to slow down the process of obtaining a licence given in Canterbury because it has become too easy.

“We simply have too many taxi drivers in the city and these stricter measures will ensure only the most suitable can drive.”

Drivers on the rank at Station Road West, Canterbury, welcomed the talks.

Armenian national George Gevorkian has been working as a cabbie in the city for four years since moving from his homeland 12 years ago.

He said: “When I moved here I studied English at Canterbury College for three years. I think knowledge of the city is necessary and agree that drivers need to learn good English.”

"we have had many complaints from the public who want to go to simple destinations and are being asked for a post code. they are then being charged as the meter runs while the driver types it into his sat nav" – taxi association chairman heather sewell

Another driver, who did not want to be named, added: “Most experienced taxi drivers here in Canterbury would welcome more stringent measures for new drivers, whether it be a knowledge test or a better English test.”

Currently all drivers applying for a licence are required to have lived or worked in the Canterbury district for a minimum of one year.

Would-be city cabbies are also required to take a test explaining routes they would take through the district and a local knowledge exam – both of which would be made tougher under the new rules.

Safety fears have also been raised about foreign national drivers being granted licences without lengthy background checks.

Currently a driver who has been in Britain for less than 12 months must provide the equivalent of a criminal record check covering the previous five years in their home country.

Those who have lived here more than a year are only required to provide details for their time in the UK.

Heather Sewell said: “British drivers are producing criminal record checks for their entire life, but some foreign drivers only have to provide them for the past five years in their home countries – it just isn’t enough.

“If the drivers cannot produce details of their history then they shouldn’t be working with the public.

“The checks need to be the same for British drivers and foreign national drivers. This is something that all the taxi drivers feel."