‘City Taxi’ Drivers help to make Hereford a safer place
Drivers from City Taxis gathered with senior representatives from Herefordshire Council and the Deputy Principal, Fazal Dad, at Herefordshire College of Technology for a special event on 5th December.
This was the first group in the County to achieve the NVQ Road Passenger Vehicle Driving (RPVD) and each successful driver was invited to receive their certificate at a presentation held in acknowledgment of their achievements.
The course has been carried out with the College under the Train to Gain scheme which is currently managed by Charlotte Thomas, Business Development Officer.
The NVQ is a new initiative by the government to set standards for taxi drivers. It is a fully comprehensive assessment which the drivers carry out whilst at work – demonstrating safety and efficiency in the role.
Councillor John Jarvis, Herefordshire Council's Cabinet Member for the Environment and Strategic Housing, said: "I am delighted we, as a taxi licensing authority, are able to work so closely with the College in promoting this qualification. Our main aim is to ensure the safety of everyone who travels in taxis in the County and this NVQ will provide passengers with an added assurance, knowing their taxi driver has been assessed on both their local knowledge and standards of customer service. We will now be working to encourage as many of our taxi drivers as possible to take this course."
With over 2500 taxi drivers already signed up nationwide, Charlotte Thomas, Business Development Officer, believes that other local drivers will follow suit as awareness is raised throughout the County. Charlotte commented “We have been delighted by the ever increasing numbers of drivers who want to complete the NVQ RPVD, this can only be seen as a positive step towards the general public’s safety from all parties. Should any drivers wish to sign up for this qualification then they should contact me directly to discuss the qualification further.”
The College is still offering the opportunity for Herefordshire taxi drivers to complete the course and any interested parties should contact Charlotte Thomas for further details on 07817 876 338.
