Diamond Taxi and Private Hire Training and Testing
Requirements for taxi and private hire drivers to
aquire or renew their licence vary amongst the 400+ licensing authorities within the United Kingdom with more than
120 insisting that drivers pass a 3 stage test including a driving test - The Diamond programme addresses this by providing
continuity of driving and testing standards nationally.
New laws relating to passenger transport and the amendment of existing laws mean having to constantly review the
changes and how they may apply to licensed taxi and private hire drivers.
Diamond
Advanced Motorists, established in 1992 by The Driving Instructors Association has developed a comprehensive taxi-driver training
and testing programme, providing a one-stop-shop for the taxi industry and licensing authorities.
Training is provided by myself (please see above certificate) where all the necessary skills and
information to pass the test will be passed on to potential or existing taxi drivers. We carry individual cover for public
liability and professional indemnity insurance to the tune of £5 million and £3 million respectively.
The Diamond Test has been accredited by the DSA and
is the only Advanced Test to use the DSA Marking System. The test is conducted by Diamond Advanced Examiners who are themselves
examined annually by Supervising Driving Examiners from the DSA to ensure quality and uniformity across
the country.
The Diamond
Taxi Test mirrors the DSA test with a maximum of 9 driving faults allowed but is considerably less expensive with a waiting
time of a few weeks rather than months and we are looking to introduce a wheel chair assessment as part of the test to
reduce costs and downtime for the taxi driver or manager.
Upon passing the test a driver is automatically entered into the MASTERDRIVER CLUB free for the
first 12 months and will receive all the benefits of membership, including reduced insurance premiums, regular copies of Driving
magazine, discounted recovery, car hire, hotels, car parking and and periodic changes in various laws and Highway Code.
With regard to the test
it is worth noting that the pass rate for the DSA taxi assessment last year was was only 50.9% and that two thirds of those
that didn't pass committed serious or dangerous faults ( one of either of these is enough to fail a learner test ). This
pass rate is is only slightly higher than the learner rate and is probably due to the fact that as professional taxi drivers
they do not see the need for training - unfortunately the opposite is true. Any driver after a period of time develops
habits, not all good, and would probably not pass todays standard driving test again without at least some refresher training.
As a DATT I am able to provide you with a complete one-stop-shop
for all your requirements at a higly competitive cost:
- Taxi / Private hire knowledge
- Passenger Awareness
- Customer Service Guidelines for the new driver
- Driving Assessment
- Driver Training
- Taxi / Private Hire test with wheelchair assessment
- Ongoing support via membership of MASTERDRIVER CLUB
If you feel any of the above would be of benefit please feel free to contact me by telephone
or email and I will be happy to discuss your requirements
