is it reasonable to expect a taxi/minicab driver to speak english?

[233]

as per the title. Do you think it should be a minimum standard that a taxi/minicab driver should be able to speak passable English to be in the job?

now this is very unlikely to be the case with hackney(taxi) drivers who under most councils have to pass a local knowledge test to be allowed a hackney badge but under my (and many other councils rules) anyone can obtain a minicab/private hire badge.

current regulations for getting a Minicab badge up here

be at least 21 years of age
have held a full UK Driving Licence for at least 1 year

it doesnt matter how long you have been resident in the uk, whether or not you can speak english or have the slightest of local knowledge. as long as you can meet the above criteria you can have a badge.


surely as politcally correct as this country is. its not wrong to refuse someone a minicab liscence if they cant speak the local language, ive been unfortunate enough to encounter people applying to our company with the aid of an intperprator. wtf? Now i like to think of myself as tolerant and non discriminating as the next man but surely we must draw a line somewhere

 

[jegz]

Yes!

It is not unreasonable to expect someone, who you are paying to drive you somewhere, to understand where you want them to take you.

 

[Deep]

Yes!

It is not unreasonable to expect someone, who you are paying to drive you somewhere, to understand where you want them to take you.

TBH, as long as they understand where they need to go they don't need to speak english

But I do think that they should have a basic knowledge of the language

 

[steve-h]

If they're working with the public in England then yes. Or any other country for that matter as I don't speak anything else :{

 

[weescott]

Any muppet can be a taxi driver, out source it to India....oh wait!

 

[Twentyone]

I think it's reasonable to expect a person to be able to speak at least a bit of the language in the country they reside and work in, yes.

 

[Ahleckz]

They shouldn't be permitted into the country if they don't have a working knowledge of the language in most circumstances.

I don't think I've ever found any mini cab drivers in Glasgow that have *that* poor level of English, they've pretty much always been able to get me to where I'm going and have a bit of chat now and then.
I'm shocked you can get a mini cab licence so easily! Maybe me and my 10 year old Accord should sign up!

 

[cheets64]

Yup, infact any job in the UK you should be able to speak English and understand dialects

"reet marrow, take me down road, I am gasping"

Wigan is not too bad for English taxi drivers but venture to Preston and Bolton all of 20 miles away and its like being in Delhi

 

[Al-Ectrician]

The main reason I gave up on running a black cab in Glasgow, you're competing with private hire cars, who have minimum setup costs for a quick return.

I let my badge expire and loved the thought I would NEVER return to taxis.

only my 2 bobs worth .

 

[233]

They shouldn't be permitted into the country if they don't have a working knowledge of the language in most circumstances.

I don't think I've ever found any mini cab drivers in Glasgow that have *that* poor level of English, they've pretty much always been able to get me to where I'm going and have a bit of chat now and then.
I'm shocked you can get a mini cab licence so easily! Maybe me and my 10 year old Accord should sign up!

you'd be fine, the accord not so,

they've recently tightened the restrictions on vehicles ie no private hire can be registered that are over 5 years old and can only be worked till their 7 years old . great thinking GCC especially in a credit crunch, make lots of drivers go out and spend money they dont have replacing cars

 

[cm1179]

i wouldn't get in one if they didn't

 

[233]

The main reason I gave up on running a black cab in Glasgow, you're competing with private hire cars, who have minimum setup costs for a quick return.

I let my badge expire and loved the thought I would NEVER return to taxis.

only my 2 bobs worth .

your right, when you consider the cost of a plate, a decent hackney plus all the other odds and sods your looking at buy a hack or buy a house? i know where my money would be.

 

[Ahleckz]

you'd be fine, the accord not so,

they've recently tightened the restrictions on vehicles ie no private hire can be registered that are over 5 years old and can only be worked till their 7 years old . great thinking GCC especially in a credit crunch, make lots of drivers go out and spend money they dont have replacing cars

Back to jobsearching I go then!
Do you do your minicabbing in your yellow Octavia? Geeze a discount if you pick me up?

 

[233]

Back to jobsearching I go then!
Do you do your minicabbing in your yellow Octavia? Geeze a discount if you pick me up?

nope very dark blue vectra/silver octavia atm


and i do offer a discount to any passenger that makes themselves known as an ocuker. had the grand total of 2 in my taxi over the years

 

[Ahleckz]

nope very dark blue vectra/silver octavia atm


and i do offer a discount to any passenger that makes themselves known as an ocuker. had the grand total of 2 in my taxi over the years

Mmm, you should have a wee discrete sticker somewhere. Or I guess I could just get in, and offer you a pasty... (Sorry for derailing your thread!)

 

[Vonhelmet]

We're in England, so yes - I'd say it's reasonable.

 

[mjt]

If he's working in the UK, then yes, of course.

 

[Cosimo]

Yes, it's very reasonable.

 

[badcompany]

hell yes.