I would say that the driver CPC is already in force in Europe.
How else could you describe FIMO / FCOS
or we could refuse the exams like they did in Bournemouth 
Learn Direct
Once it was enough to have a driving licence and know the way to the railway station. But taxi drivers today have to have rather more sophisticated qualifications as well.
More than 100 taxi drivers on the South Coast have had their licences withdrawn because they boycotted a “patronising” course intended to teach them how to do the job that they are already doing, and in some cases have been for more than 25 years.
The cabbies in Bournemouth are the first in the country to have to sit through eight weeks of lectures in order to have their licences renewed by the council. During the weekly classes they have been taught to say “Hello” and shown how to lift a heavy case. They are also told to practise reading body language and advised on conflict management techniques.
More than 100 drivers, one in ten of Bournemouth’s cabbies, have refused to attend the BTEC course claiming that it was “patronising”. Others only took part because they could not afford to lose their licences but claim that it was a waste of time.
The angry cabbies claim that virtually everything in the course entitled Transporting Passengers By Taxi and Private Hire is “basic common sense” and that it is ridiculous to expect them to take an exam to show that they are competent to do a job that they have been doing for years.
While the BTEC course covers licensing regulations, carriage of luggage, route planning, disability awareness and customer service, it also gives instructions on box lifting – having conducted a risk assessment first. The section on customer service advises drivers to build up a “friendly rapport” with regular customers. By way of illustration, a cartoon shows a driver greeting a customer with the words “Hello Mrs Smith, nice to see you again.”
Drivers are advised on “conflict management techniques” and encouraged to follow one of five animal models. The “wise owl” uses teamwork and cooperation to achieve a solution, the “wily fox” gives a little to win a lot, the “teddy bear” plays down conflict, the “man-eating shark” wins by force of argument and the “elderly turtle” turns around and walks away.
Frank Shaw refused to take the course. He says that he will sue the council if his licence is withdrawn. “I have been driving a cab for 25 years so why should I have to prove that I’m capable of the doing the job?” he said.
“About 80 per cent of what you have to learn on this course is either completely ridiculous or just not relevant. I know how to greet a customer and lift a suitcase – I don’t need a piece of paper to prove that.
“If my appeal gets rejected I will just take it higher and higher. I plan to retire in two years so I’m more than happy to fight this on principle.”
Another driver, who did not wish to be named, says that he took the course because he feared losing his job.
He said: “I have been driving cabs for 20 years yet they are now trying to tell me how to do my job. It’s an idiot’s course. Some of the information is useful, like how to react if you come across a serious accident, but the majority is just common sense.
“It’s quite patronising really. I took the exam and passed but I only did it because I didn’t want my licence taken off me as it’s my livelihood.”
Bournemouth is the first local authority to make the BTEC qualification, administered by the examinations board Edexcel, a requirement for a taxi licence. Drivers already have to attend a short course and pass a test to obtain a private hire licence from the DVLA. They also have to pay £75 for clearance from the criminal records bureau.
The resort’s 1,000 cabbies were given a deadline of February 2008 to sit the exam and were told that they would be suspended if they did not meet it.
Stephen Chappell, chairman of Bournemouth council’s licensing board, said: “This qualification is vital to ensure our drivers are of a high standard, and residents and visitors receive the best possible service.”
On the syllabus
– Instructions on how to lift a box. Drivers must make an initial “risk assessment”, which includes estimating the shape and likely weight of the load, examining the surrounding area for potential hazards and assessing their fitness level
– Building a “friendly rapport” with your regular customers including advice on saying “hello”
– Practise reading body language though the rear-view mirror. “Are you able to recognise ‘annoyance, anger, vagueness, humour, worry’?”
– Pay attention to your “personal qualities and appearance”, including teeth brushing and beard trimming
– Conflict management techniques, based on the five animal role models
– Plus tests on licensing regulations, map-reading, route planning and mileage charts, how to define disabilities, passenger empathy, customer service and driver dignity
Source: BTEC course for Transporting Passengers by Taxi and Private Hire
