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Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Answer

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the time it takes for a typical applicant for a licence to pass the knowledge test to become a London taxi driver administered by the Public Carriage Office from the day of registration; what was the equivalent figure (a) five and (b) 10 years ago; and what plans he has to reform testing procedures. [31765] Ms Glenda Jackson: There are two stages to `Knowledge' testing. Once an application for a taxi driver's licence has been accepted the applicant is invited to an `initial talk' at which the topographical knowledge requirements are explained and the book of routes to be learned (`the Knowledge') is issued. The applicant is then allowed up to two years (extendable on request) to learn the Knowledge and apply for a first examination interview (`an appearance'). The average time between initial talk and first appearance has been: 1987: 448 days 1992: 478 days 1997: 484 days. Thereafter, an applicant may require several appearances. The average time taken between first appearance and becoming licensed has been: 1987: 519 days 1992: 681 days 1997: 781 days. The time taken for each stage depends on various factors, including the amount of time which an applicant can devote to Knowledge learning. The standard required of applicants has remained unchanged throughout the period. Changes to testing procedures which have been introduced by the Public Carriage Office include: an expanded booklet of the routes to be learned giving greater explanation of what is required; an updated `initial talk'; a written test which has to be passed before the applicant is granted a first `appearance', so that the resources of examiners in oral interviews are not taken unnecessarily; a revised marking and points system which ensures that candidates who are making progress move forward in the system whilst those who are under-performing revert to a previous stage, again without taking examiners' resources unnecessarily; a more open assessment system. Changes which the Public Carriage Office plan for the future include: an increase in the number of examiners; adoption of the Business Excellence Model (in progress); an independent review of the Knowledge process; and an investigation (already commenced) into the possible introduction of a computer-based testing system.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

31765; 307 c549-50W

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Licensing Greater London Taxis

Contains statistics

Yes