Hi.
I would like to hear your oppinions on drivers having the oppertunity to take an advanced driving test.
There is The The Institute of Advanced Motorists Like this one here
Which I have chosen to participate in and am awating an appointment for initial assesment.

And then there is the DSA assesment on Driving a Taxi and Private hire vehicle

Like this one here

Now this is only my oppinion..I would like to hear yours !
Don't begin to be insulting...let us chat and debate the reason for and against this.

I do this by choice at the moment but really hope that my council makes it compulsory for all new applicants and excising drivers upon renewal of there licences.

I have sat the DSA assessment test already and was unsuccessful on the first try.
I have another test to sit very soon for the DSA...

I also have an assessment booked with a test to follow for the The Institute of Advanced Motorists, I will be honest I love every bit about the training and the tests.

What do you reckon ? Would you do it as a measure to improve standards within our trade and to improve public safety ?

Regards Steve

The Taxi Test / Assessment

Taken from the DSA site this explains the overall content and expectations of the examiner on the day of the test.

The practical taxi test
Before you are issued with a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Drivers Licence you must pass a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire test assessment. It is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the contents of the test, it is also strongly recommended that you take professional instruction prior to taking the test.

The taxi assessment test is reflective of modern driving practices. The standard is set at a level suitable for the full driving licence holder, which is therefore higher than the learner driver test.

You must provide a roadworthy vehicle suitable for the purpose of the test, which must include head restraints and seat belts.

The eyesight test
At the start of your practical test you will be asked to read in good daylight (with the aid of glasses or contact lenses if worn) a registration mark fixed to a motor vehicle with letters and figures 79.4 millimetres high at a distance of 20.5 metres (20 metres for a new style number plate). If you fail the eyesight test, you will be unable to take the driving part but will still be able to continue with the wheelchair section.

For further information about the eyesight test click the link in the related content box.

The practical test
The practical test will last for about 35 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic. During the test you should drive in a natural way, and should not adjust your driving to what you may feel the examiner would expect to see. The examiner will give you clear instructions which you should follow throughout the test.

During the practical test, you will be examined on the following:

• awareness and anticipation
• effective planning of prevailing road and traffic conditions
• correct use of speed
• emergency stop (one in three tests)
• a manoeuvre involving reversing
• Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Car related exercise
• passenger safety and comfort
• wheelchair element (for Black Cab style only)

The wheelchair exercise
If you are taking the taxi test with the wheelchair exercise you should also be able to:

• demonstrate your ability to securely erect the wheelchair ramps, floor ramp etc
• safely install the wheelchair in your vehicle
• secure seat belts/safety harness and also secure any wheel belts/clamps fitted to your vehicle
• reverse the process by taking off the belts, harnesses and clamps, taking the wheelchair out of the vehicle and putting the ramps away

Regards Steve

INEVITABLE

Typing obviously not my strong point thank you Mr Fraser

I will post the costs.
The DSA assessment for taxi / private hire ( Non Wheelchair type ) is £60
You WILL require some instruction that is taken in your own vehicle.
I paid £30 for 90 mins to my first instructor...
The Instructor I use now is a woman instructor and she charges £15 per hour.
The instructor needs to train to advanced levels and not learner driver standards.
The Test is a eyesight test followed by the practical test and then to end on numerous questions relating to highway code and Taxi legislation.

The test given by The Institute of Advanced Motorists

The all inclusive cost for the IAM 'Skills For Life' package is only £85 and includes the following:

• Associate Membership of the Group for a year (note that your observed runs are free!).
• A copy of the Pass Your Advanced Driving Test book
• The test fee
• Memberships of the IAM for a year commencing after you have passed your test.

The IAM 'Skills For Life' package can be paid for by credit card only when you apply direct to -

The IAM Headquarters in London.

There is also a discount of £10 to younger drivers when applying for IAM 'Skills For Life' package. 

OR you can pay £25 for DriveCheck is a short Driving Assessment aimed at everyone who is interested in safer driving but who doesn't feel they are (yet) ready to take the IAM Advanced Test. 
It takes about an hour comprising an initial introduction (document check etc.), followed by a 35-40-minute drive with the Group observer, followed by a feedback session, at which the candidate will be presented with a written feedback form. 
The normal cost of DriveCheck will be £35.00, but as an introductory offer, the price is discounted to £25.00.

Apply for the Skill for Life Programme within 30 days of taking your DriveCheck assessment and you will receive a discount of £25 off the standard price of £85. For applications made after 30 days we offer a discount of £15.

Both Types of test can be prepared for and tests booked to fit in with your own work rota.
You will find that you will not require loads of lessons for both courses but you will require some...
I think you will find it interesting.

The DSA assessment seems to be a bit more of a challenge..

Steve

I could not agree more !

Well at least this council seems to have the common sense to introduce the assessment.

http://www.lewes.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=321

there is currently a list of approx 86 councils that participate in the DSA scheme why on earth don't all councils take this as part of there licencing requirements. ?
It is in the interest of the public safety for god sake !

what do the organisations and unions think of these proposals to make our roads safer ?

Come on....Please give us opinions and reasons.

You have my undivided attention.


I intend to attempt to have this implemented as a compulsory measure within my licencing council .

Regards Steve

GOOD OLD SUSSEX BY THE SEA

21.1  At present, the following Authorities in Sussex have already introduced the Driving Standards Agency Taxi Test:

      a) Brighton and Hove

b) Crawley

c) Rother

d) Wealden

e) Adur

f) Horsham

Uniting this industry would appear an impossible task at times and to an extent it is. There are so many vested self interests and so many people talking with a forked tongue on even the most basic issues that affect all of us and we should all be united on, like driver safety, that sometimes you despair.

This is why posts like the one Geordie has done which are aimed at taking this industry forward are so important. Perhaps the arguments of a free market madness that allows any Tom, Dick and Harry verses the lets limit the plates and make a bomb on the black market brigade is a false precedent

Perhaps the self regulatory effect of pre entry training and at different levels prior to entry to either wings of the trade would be a more appropriate for the industry rather than the perspectives of the terminally short sighted who can't see past the next fix to rob the drivers.

Compulsory pre entry training and testing could be legislated for and administered through the licensing authorities. While topographical testing will always be more or less difficult depending on your geographical location, safe driving, customer care and (allo allo's) idea of embedding conflict resolution training in driver education is something that could apply to all of us wherever we are located or whatever part of the trade we work in

Once again though like everything else in an economy based on theft and deceit we come down to the question of money. The sort of money that you are talking about combined with the loss of earnings is far to much for many of the drivers to stand, So like the arguments in relation to driver safety I believe that there should be ring fenced government money to licensing authorities along with standardised (as far as possible) legislation in relation to pre entry training that would enable the authorities to commission independent, expert trainers and testers to train and test new entrants and to provide training and testing for existing drivers over a period of time together with a subsidy for loss of earnings.

I've been in contact with someone for a while now regarding this.

 we are looking at starting something Nationally, but now Steve's  [Taxis] brought up the subject why cant all sides get together and move forwards as one organised group ?

Trainers, Associations, Drivers etc 

please See  below email what was said and contact details Taxi's if you want to ring Graham for more info ?

From: Graham Carpenter [[email protected]]
Sent: 20 November 2007 09:30
To: [email protected]
Subject: Taxi Training and Testing
Hello Tony -

Just a note to let you know I haven’t forgotten about you!

Lots happening at the moment with two taxi driver training
courses planned for London and Manchester – next week
and next month respectively.

I will send you the overview of the programme after we
have ironed out any wrinkles.

Hope you are well and will be in touch soon.

With kind regards

Graham

Graham Carpenter
General Manager

DIAmond Advanced Motorists, Safety House, Beddington Farm Road,
Croydon CR0 4XZ  Telephone +44 (0)845 345 5151
+44 (0)20 8665 8038 (Direct)  +44 (0)7967 441 480 (Mobile)

Safety House Limited. Registered in England No 5316585