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Peterborough Taxi Driver of the Year
2007
Sunday 23 September was the final of the 2007,
"Peterborough Taxi Driver of the Year" competition, held for the second year
by the City Council's Taxi Enforcement Office.
The competition was open to all Hackney Carriage and Private Hire drivers in
the city. From more than 800 drivers licensed by the city council six went
through to the final. As well as winning the coveted title of
'taxi driver of the year 2007', the winner received £500, with the second
placed driver scooping £300 and the driver coming third picking up £200.
A certificate, endorsed by the city council was presented to the six
finalists to be displayed in their vehicles.
The winners were:
First place, £500 prize, Khalid Yaqub
Second place, £300 prize, Tariq Mahboob
Third place, £200 prize, David Snowdin
The judging of the finalists was by tutors from the
Cambridgeshire Advanced Driving Group - CADG, affiliated to RoSPA.
The event was held at the Peterborough taxi office. Drivers had a choice of
driving their own cab, or using a traditional black cab provided by Conders,
the local cab dealer.
In order to be eligible to take part in the event, drivers had to fulfil certain
criteria including: an assessment of their driving history according to comments
made by customers; vehicle condition following mechanical inspection; any
penalty points awarded through the council's own enforcement system; and their
standards of dress and personal hygiene. Successful candidates were then short
listed to attend the driving test after they had passed a written test based on
the Highway Code and the city council's licence conditions.
The test route was designed by CADG to reflect the road conditions local cabbies
expect each day, a gruelling test which lasted about 45 minutes. The route took
into account local knowledge, city driving, dual lane carriage ways,
roundabouts, traffic lights, for which the drivers were required not only to
know where the destinations were, but to know the most effective route whilst
maintaining a drive that was safe, progressive, legal and importantly,
comfortable for the passenger, a CADG tutor. The test was designed to constantly
engage the abilities of the drivers under a variety of differing road
conditions. The route was designed by Keith Sisman and Arthur Wood, from CADG
that would involve city, open road and some limited dual lane driving,
that would reveal the driver's local 'knowledge', driving ability, and a
practical understanding of rules and regulations of the Highway code, and
lastly, humour, which is all part of the requirements of being a great cabbie.
The test also reflected where possible, the drivers need to meet the requirement
of the NVQ2 National Vocational Qualification in public passenger transport.
Areas the drivers were marked on included, cleanliness of the cab and the driver
wearing their badge. A pre-drive check was expected with good observation
throughout the drive. Correct use of control with good hazard perception was
monitored along with the drivers' consideration not only for other road users,
but for the passenger. The driver was expected to maintain a safety bubble
throughout the test whilst using their knowledge to find the most effective
route. The driver was asked by the examiner to drive to various destinations
around the city. No directions were given and satellite navigation was banned
for the test, the driver having to rely not only on local knowledge, but also
knowing which roads were affected by road works and temporary closures, the test
route being finalised less than 36 hours before the test to allow for this.
Ken Gray, Peterborough City Council's principal taxi enforcement officer, said:
"Taxi drivers provide a vital service to both the city's residents and its
visitors. This competition highlights their essential role and the importance of
maintaining high standards in several different areas. The standard of
competition has been very high and the six finalists are looking forward to
trying to win the title. The driving test will be a thorough examination of
their driving skills and we're looking forward to seeing who comes out on top."
A graded form was produced for the tutors by CADG covering all relevant areas.
Please see pictures, with names, at:
http://sisman.net/PboroTaxi.htm
For further info:
John Goodwin,
Licensing Enforcement Officer, Taxi Enforcement - 01733
452352
john.goodwin@peterborough.gov.uk
Keith Sisman 01487-711211
Press Officer - CADG
