Item 7 Appendix 3 - Knowledge Test
West Dunbartonshire Council · 17 April 2024
Back to Licensing Committee — 17 April 2024 and its agenda
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AssessmentNo 994 Owner michael.mcdougall Resource Transformation Service/Establishment Regulatory First Name Surname Job title Head Officer Michael McDougall Section Head (Licensing) (include job titles/organisation) Members Bob Mackie, Senior Officer, Licensing Section (Please note: the word 'policy' is used as shorthand for stategy policy function or financial decision) Policy Title Review of knowledge test requirement The aim, objective,purpose and intended out come of policy Consider whether to review the requirement that applicants for a Taxi Driver and Private Hire Car Driver Licence must sit and pass a knowledge test. The knowledge test compromises of five parts with the candidate being tested on: (1) the location of public buildings and local landmarks; (2) where particular streets are found; (3) the shortest practicable route to take between specified places; (4) their knowledge and understanding of the highway code; and (5) other questions relating to the operation of a Taxi or Private Hire Car. Candidates are required to answer at least 75% of the questions to pass. Service/Partners/Stakeholders/service users involved in the development and/or implementation of policy. Propose to consult with Police, taxi trade and the public. Does the proposals involve the procurement of any goods or services? Yes If yes please confirm that you have contacted our procurement services to discuss your requirements. No SCREENING You must indicate if there is any relevance to the four areas Duty to eliminate discrimination (E), advance equal opportunities (A) or foster good relations (F) Yes Relevance to Human Rights (HR) No Relevance to Health Impacts (H) No Relevance to Social Economic Impacts (SE) Yes Who will be affected by this policy? Taxi drivers, taxi operators, and members of the public. Who will be/has been involved in the consultation process? A public consultation has been carried out. Proactive steps were taken to highlight this consultation to taxi drivers and taxi operators. The consultation was circulated to key groups by the Council's Communities service and a link to the consultation was circulated via the Council's Equality and Diversity Working Group. Please outline any particular need/barriers which equality groups may have in relation to this policy list evidence you are using to support this and whether there is any negative impact on particular groups. Needs Evidence Impact Age Older persons are more like to have Increased use of wheelchairs and It is important that older people are
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mobility needs that require the use of wheelchairs or have mobility restrictions that may mean that taxis are the best form of transport. reliance on taxis to access services. conveyed to their destination by the quickest route. Cross Cutting Disability Persons with a range of disabilities may struggle to pass the knowledge test despite being familiar with the local area. A range of disabilities can have an impact on a persons' ability to complete a test. Persons with disabilities may use taxis and private hire cars more than other groups. It is important that taxi and private hire car drivers are familar with the local area and conditions. Written exams can be challenging to people with additional support needs and/or disabilities. The importance of taxis and private hire cars is recognised in various forums including in a UK Government's document "Disable People's travel behaviour and attitudes to travel". Dispensing with the knowledge test would allow persons to rely on alterative means of navigation which are already in use and are popular, e.g. sat navs. However, if the Knowledge Test was to be retained then officers would review correspondance and the wording of the Test to make sure it was accessible and that reasonable adjustments were offered. When the knowledge test was put on hold during covid there was no increase in complaints around journey time or similar. Social & Economic Impact Taxi operators report a shortage of taxi drivers. This has an impact on various sectors ranging from contract hires to the night time economy. Feedback from the taxi trade. The knowledge test makes sure that licence holders have a good understanding of the local area. It may be that sat nav and similar devices allow for persons to be conveyed by the shortest position route without this knowledge. Removing the knowledge test may encourage applicants however, those applicants may
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not have a good working knowledge of the local area. No clear evidence submitted to demostrate that the elimination of the test would result in an increase in applications. Sex Women will often rely on taxis and private hire cars to safely convey them home at unsocial hours due to concerns around public transport. Transport Scotland recognises that many women would prefer to take a taxi as opposed to public transport. It is important women are safely conveyed home by taxis and private hire cars by the shortest route. The knowledge test makes sure that the driver is familiar with the local area and other relevant matters. It may be that the use of sat navs or similar mitigates any concerns. Gender Reassign Health Human Rights Marriage & Civil Partnership Pregnancy & Maternity Race Applicants for taxi and private hire car driver licences may not have English as their first language. Applicants will be from a range of backgrounds. Persons where English is not their first language may struggle to pass the knowledge test where they are familiar with the area or can successfully use electronic devices to navigate the area. Where the test to be retained then officers would continue to make sure that the test was accessible to persons of all backgrounds. Religion and Belief
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Sexual Orientation Actions Policy has a negative impact on an equality group,but is still to be implemented, please provide justification for this. The knowledge test could be challenging for persons with disabilities or for whom English is a second language. The elimination of the test would remove that barrier, however, in so doing it may allow taxi drivers who do not have a working knowledge of the area. If retained, officers will make sure that candidates are aware that reasonable adjustments can be made. The test and associated paperwork will be reviewed to make sure it is accessible. Will the impact of the policy be monitored and reported on an ongoing bases? The Licensing Committee can ask for the policy to be reviewed at any time (subject to standing orders). Q7 What is you recommendation for this policy? Intoduce Please provide a meaningful summary of how you have reached the recommendation EIA756: The Council is permitted by the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to test potential applicants for taxi and private hire car driver licenses of their local knowledge. Such a test may be a barrier to some groups however these barriers can be overcome by reasonable adjustments in the sitting of the test.