More than 10,000 people have backed a petition to scrap a new rule forcing private hire drivers to prove their English language skills. Many of who are Asian. It was set up after Nadia Islam whose father is being forced to undertake an English test – despite having worked as a private hire driver for more than 10 years.
“This is just not fair,” she said.
“It is true that many of these drivers may not have the best writing skills but they are smart enough to discuss the best route with a passenger, the fare and whatever else the job entails.”
She added: “For example my dad is not the best at written communication which means he may fail the English writing test, however over his 10 years of working as a private hire driver he has had no problem communicating with passengers effectively and the passengers have had no problem understanding him.”
The English tests sparked uproar among private hire drivers when the plan was announced by TfL. The new rule will force them to pay £180 for a written essay and speaking test if they do not have GCSE-level certificates. Drivers who have lived in the capital for their whole lives called the new Transport for London ruling “insulting” and “penalising the thick” – but TfL said it was “essential for public safety”.
A petition calling on the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to stop forcing the rule on drivers with more than five years’ experience has now been signed by more than 10,800 people.
Transport for London had fought a legal battle with app Uber over the plans to introduce the tests. The battle led TfL to decide to bring the tests in across the board, rather than giving drivers from English-speaking countries an exemption.
Helen Chapman, TfL’s General Manager for Taxi and Private Hire, reportedly said: "We are introducing a range of measures to raise standards in the private hire industry and ensure the safety of passengers.
"One of these is the introduction of an English language requirement for private hire drivers. It is essential for public safety that all licensed drivers can communicate in English at an appropriate level.
"Drivers must be able to communicate with passengers to discuss a route, or fare, as well as reading and understanding important regulatory, safety and travel information. We are clear that this is crucial to a driver’s role in transporting the public."
