Highland private hire car drivers could face same knowledge test as taxi drivers

Private hire car drivers in the Highlands could soon undergo the same local knowledge test as taxi drivers.

It comes after councillors were told some new private hire drivers could not navigate “simple” trips.

A number of other local authority areas in Scotland already require a knowledge test for private hire car drivers.

Private hire cars operate slightly differently to taxis in that trips have to be pre-booked and cannot be hailed or picked up from a taxi rank.

Councillors have now asked for a public consultation on the matter.

Gavin Johnston, owner of Inverness Taxis, expressed the need for private hire driver’s area knowledge to be of a higher standard than currently.

Mr Johnston said: “As we are the biggest operator in the Highlands, moving over a million people a year, we probably get the most complaints in the Highlands when it comes to this.”

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“We’ve seen a lot of people relocating here to become a private hire driver in the past few years.

“Nobody has an issue with that, people can work where they want.”

However, Mr Johnston added he “would like to see the [Private Hire Car] drivers coming to the area to be a bit more equipped to do the job.”

Mr Johnston continued that some new drivers he has spoken to don’t know “simple” destinations around Inverness like Raigmore Hospital or the airport.

“We give them the job pre-booked so they know the job but anything can happen on a trip.

“There could be someone who takes ill in the car or it’s an emergency and they need to deviate.

“The driver needs to have basic knowledge of major areas.”

The requirement for private hire drivers to undertake a knowledge test is up to individual local authorities to decide.

Along with Highland Council, a number of councils that also do not currently require a private hire car knowledge test include Dundee and West Lothian.

There are several councils that do require a test for private hire drivers, including Aberdeen, Perth and Kinross and Angus.

Highland councillors have agreed to ask the public if local knowledge tests for private hire drivers should go ahead and council officers will now prepare a consultation on the matter.

After the consultation has been completed, councillors will then vote on whether to require private hire drivers take a knowledge test.

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