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Moray taxi drivers will be forced to pass language tests

Taxis
Taxis

Moray’s taxi drivers will have to pass a language and local knowledge before they can get a licence.

The move comes following a review by the local authority that revealed that 96% of the public support the idea.

The tests were welcomed by some of the region’s cabbies yesterday.

Dan Brown, who works at Tornado Taxis in Elgin, said: “You hear some horror stories from customers about drivers getting lost, so it has to be a good idea to test local knowledge.

“In my view, drivers shouldn’t be relying on sat navs – they should be familiar with the area before they’re allowed a licence.

“At the moment there are definitely too many operating, in Elgin in particular, who don’t know their way around.”

The council review also found 60% of the public favoured a dress code for drivers in order to create a smart impression.

In addition, a rule to ban drivers from smoking while they waited at taxi ranks was favoured by 67%.

The full details of the dress code will be finalised following discussions between the council and the taxi trade.

However, talk of it was met with wry amusement yesterday.

Ian McWilliam, who runs Tornado Taxis, said: “If they want us to wear collars and ties that’s fine in theory, but I wonder how practical it is.

“A white shirt might not look quite so smart by the end of a long day’s driving as it did at the beginning.

“As for the ban on smoking, I suppose it reflects the times we’re living in.

“It’s 2014, and things that were thought to be acceptable in the past aren’t any more.”

Ron Shepherd, the chairman of the council’s licensing committee, said: “The review was the first in a decade, and was long overdue.

“The changes that will be implemented are in line with the feedback we received from the consultation.”