'If you can't speak English you shouldn't be driving taxis,' County Durham cabbie claims

Would-be taxi drivers will be tested on their maths and English skills as part of a revamped application process in County Durham

County Durham cabbies should have a good grasp of the language before they can ply their trade, drivers have claimed.

Taxi bosses have backed the move which could see would-be drivers facing tests of their numeracy and literacy if they want to receive a hackney carriage or private hire licence in County Durham.

Cabinet members will be asked to agree next week to a 12-week consultation on the proposal.

Alan Shield, chairman of the North West Durham branch of the National Taxi Drivers Association, said: “If you can’t add up, you can’t give change.

“If you can’t speak English, how do you know where your fare is going to?

“I’m not racist, but if you can’t speak English you should not be driving taxis.

“If someone jumps into a taxi and says ‘take me to Stanley’ and the driver says ‘Que? I’m from Barcelona – no English’ it’s not good enough.

“I think this is a valid point.”

The move is part of a raft of measures set to shake up the taxi industry. Improved safeguarding measures for child passengers are set to be put in place, as well as restrictions limiting the age of vehicles used as cabs and their emissions.

There will also be new regulations regarding limousines.

Chris Chandler, of Sunniside, is the director of the National Taxi Association, said: “For anyone coming to Durham or Chester-le-Street, a taxi driver is generally the first contact a member of the public has.

“If they have insufficient command of the English language and if they can’t write a receipt out properly it doesn’t look good.

“I don’t have a problem with people from other countries coming into this trade. We’re supposed to be a diverse community, but I just think if I’m going to work at 6am I want everyone on a level playing field.”

Andrew Goodchild, taxi operations manager at Durham City Taxis which employs 47 drivers, backed the proposals for the literacy test.

However, he said the introduction of a new knowledge test which covers the entire county has been seen as an overly severe measure by the county.

Mr Goodchild said: “In terms of literacy, if the driver can’t speak, or read, English he can’t work with directions.

“I don’t know what standard it would have to but it would have to be so you can communicate.”

He added: “It’s too advanced.

“They are purposefully trying to make it hard but the average age of a taxi driver is in the mid-40s and they will put off new blood.”

Mr Shield said: “If I had to sit this again, I’d go back to driving buses.

“It’s that hard.”

Councillors will vote on the consultation at their meeting in County Hall, Durham, on Wednesday.