Industry News Magazine / Thursday May 24
The Taxi Council SA has announced a raft of measures to strengthen Taxi Driver Training and enhance passenger safety.
The Taxi Council South Australia, in consultation with the Taxi Training Task force, SAPOL and other stakeholders, has put forward a number of strong recommendations for the State Government’s consideration.
Key to those changes is a proposal to extend taxi driver training from 2 weeks to 6 months, with more rigorous assessment built in.
The Taxi Council is also recommending a pre-entry requirement for all applicants to have held a current unrestricted Australian driver’s licence for a minimum of 12 months.
“We have listened to the concerns of the Taxi Task force and the public and have made some recommendations which we believe address areas of weakness in the current training regime,” said Taxi Council SA Vice President Wally Sievers.
“The proposed new training requirements place a strong emphasis on English assessment, driver competency and regulatory components”.
“Apart from requiring new drivers to undergo six months of training and assessment, a number of filters would be built into the system to ensure only suitable people receive accreditation,” Mr Sievers said.
The improvements to Driver Training being proposed by the Taxi Council include:
- a minimum pre-entry requirement of a current unrestricted Australian drivers licence which has been held for a minimum of 12 months
- extending the training period from 2 weeks to 6 months
- the introduction of compulsory questions during the pre-entry testing phase to cover such areas as road rules and key regulations (including the carriage of guide-dogs)
- the introduction of the One-Stop Shop for English Assessment, Photo Identification, Driver Information Kits and checks on medical and police clearances
- strengthening the English assessment, which would be conducted by qualified assessors
- expanding the driving component of the training with a more robust emphasis on road safety and assessment
- each component of the training must be passed by applicants before they can progress to the next step
- Government auditing at two stages of the driver assessment process, including before full accreditation is granted - this will provide passengers and industry peace of mind to know that the system has been independently assessed and approved.
In conjunction with these proposed changes to training, the Taxi Council is also recommending the following measures:
- the introduction of a memorandum of understanding with SAPOL to ensure the taxi industry is notified of certain offences committed by drivers
- the re-introduction of a Taxi On-Road Audit program (mystery shoppers) that will report and identify the strengths and weaknesses of taxi service levels.
- the de-activation of a driver’s pin (required for operating the taxi) when certain offences have been committed, as notified by SAPOL or the PTD
- a requirement of accreditation that drivers who are reported by taxi inspectors for certain offences complete a refresher course pertaining to their offence - refresher training is an alternative to financial penalties or as an additional requirement for non-compliance with Regulations. Refresher training could include compulsory and optional modules, relevant to the area of non-compliance.
- a compulsory questionnaire conducted of all existing accredited drivers to identify any areas of concern.
“As well as taking a multi-pronged approach to addressing concerns that rest with the industry itself, we are also committed to empowering our patrons,” Mr Sievers said.
“To that end, the Taxi Council supports the adoption and promotion of a Customer Charter to provide comprehensive advice to patrons on catching a taxi.”
It’s also proposed that vehicle and driver identification be more prominently displayed in taxis and that drivers be required to provide easily accessible identification cards, similar to a business card, which can be taken by a passenger.
“We are determined to address the concerns raised by the South Australian community about the taxi industry and look forward to working with the State Government, the Taxi Training Task force, and all stakeholders on fine tuning and implementing these proposed changes,” Mr Sievers said.
“The Taxi Council would like to reiterate the majority of drivers are doing the right thing and are committed to providing a vital, quality service to the community”.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Wally Sievers
Taxi Council SA Vice President
Member of the Australian Taxi Industry Association
Ph: 0417 822 209
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