Latest news with #BristolCityCouncil
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The Knowledge is axed in Bristol after only eight taxi drivers pass 'outdated' test
The Knowledge Test, which requires taxi drivers to learn thousands of routes across the city, has been axed in Bristol after only eight drivers managed to pass this year. First introduced in 1865, the 90-minute test ensures drivers know precise road names and locations, routes to hotels, pubs, restaurants and clubs, alongside particular places of interest. But now, city council officials have scrapped the intense exam, deeming it to be a 'significant barrier' for individuals wanting to enter the profession and arguing that increased satnav use has rendered it 'outdated'. It comes after new figures have shown that just eight of the 133 people who have taken the test this year had passed. A new report published to Bristol City Council's public safety and protection committee on June 3 said that 'concerns' had been raised regarding the ongoing relevance of the test. It added: 'All private hire journeys are pre-booked, and the vast majority of drivers rely on satellite navigation devices. 'As such the current requirement to know the location of certain premises or roads is outdated. 'The level of detailed knowledge required to pass the test is significant and represents a significant barrier to entering the trade'. In November 2023, Department for Transport guidance was updated to say that topographical knowledge was no longer necessary. It said: 'Given the availability, reliability and ease of satnav systems, licensing authorities should not require any topographical knowledge or navigational tests for private hire vehicles'. This means that applicants, who typically take up to four years to master the challenging 100 question test, will now only be quizzed on broader aspects of safety that include general road safety and child sexual exploitation. The report also recommended that the test be expanded to include a wider range of issues such as disability awareness, conflict avoidance, management of racial abuse or hate speech, alongside how best to plan routes using navigation devices. In March, it was announced by Transport for London (TFL) that changes were to be made to the 'Knowledge' test required for the capital's iconic black cabs, with fewer than 15,000 licensed taxis left across the city, down a third in a decade. Widely considered one of the world's toughest taxi tests, candidates have to memorise the city's 25,000 streets and 100,000 points of interest within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. The change to the challenging exam was one of 14 pledges laid out in a new action plan under Transport for London in a bid to help support the struggling minicab and taxi industry over the next five years. It came after the Centre for London thinktank warned that black taxis were at risk of becoming extinct within the next 20 years without any changes to the current format. The number of licensed taxi drivers in London in February fell to a new low of just 16,816 - down nearly 10,000 in a decade from the 25,232 in 2014/15.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Bristol axes the Knowledge after only eight taxi drivers pass
Bristol has axed the Knowledge test for taxi drivers after only eight passed the quiz. Council officials said the 'outdated' test, which requires drivers to learn road names and locations to get their passengers to their destinations quickly, had become a 'barrier'. Figures revealed that just eight of 133 people taking it in Bristol this year managed to pass. Drivers have to answer at least 75 out of 100 questions correctly and must also achieve a minimum pass mark in all 10 categories – four or five out of 10 questions in each. A report to Bristol city council's public safety and protection committee, the 90-minute test was described as 'outdated'. Test 'should prioritise safety' In November 2023, a decision was taken to update Department for Transport guidance, with the committee report making it clear that topographical knowledge was no longer needed. It said: 'Given the availability, reliability and ease of use of sat nav systems, licensing authorities should not require any topographical knowledge or navigational tests for private hire vehicle drivers.' Instead, the report recommended that the sections that should stay in the test should prioritise safety, including child sexual exploitation, general road safety, along with how to calculate change, policy and legislation, and equality. The committee further suggested the test needed to be strengthened with a wider range of questions and topics which protect public safety, including disability awareness, planning routes using navigation devices, conflict avoidance, and also what steps to take if they face racial abuse, abusive comments or hate speech. The Knowledge was first introduced in 1865 as a requirement for taxi drivers, and it takes between three or four years to master the test. Drivers are taught precise locations and routes to hotels, pubs, restaurants and clubs, along with places of interest or the district of a particular road.
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Headlines: 'Vandalised bus gate signs' and 'Gromit trail unveiled'
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media on Friday 30 May. Our pick of local website stories News on new bus gate signs in Barton Hill being vandalised performed well for Bristol Live. Someone sprayed 'No poor people allowed' on the signs at the junction of Marsh Lane and Avonvale Road, which is in the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood. Bristol City Council's deputy leader Heather Mack said she understood the changes might be a challenge for Town FC being bought out by a Dubai investment firm was a top post for ITV West what was dubbed Chippenham's "worst road" has become one of the UK's first "net zero" roads, reports the Wiltshire Times. The road was resurfaced as part of a trial between the council and academics and now contains biochar, which absorbs carbon. Our top three from yesterday What to watch on social media Wiltshire Police says it has managed to bring down wait times for 999 calls down by more than two thirds in the past year, achieved through "dynamic staffing".Reports of a juggler keeping motorists entertained while roadworks are carried out on the Quedgeley bypass has been what links Bristol and Pembrokeshire? The story of how Albion Sands got its name from the Bristol-built Albion ship has done well in this Pembrokeshire you not receive your delivery in Calne on Thursday? Tina from Evri says she could not finish her round because she was badly bitten on both hands by a finally, Tewkesbury Borough Council says it will have a Pride flag up throughout June.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
New £15m Bristol regional cycling hub plans submitted
New images have been released of a proposed £15m regional cycling Bristol Regional Cycling Hub will be built on Henacre Open Space, a former landfill site in Lawrence plans include a 1km competition track, an area for new cyclists to learn how to ride, a car park, a main building and new connections to nearby cycling City Council, which has submitted the planning application for the hub, said the new facility will replace the Bristol Family Cycling Centre at the Old Whitchurch Athletics Track, which opened in 2010. In planning documents, the council says the new cycling centre will be funded by the government's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, which is administered by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). A previous bid for money from the Levelling Up fund was rejected, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was for the planning application said the competition-grade track was designed in collaboration with British Cycling for local competitions and regional championships, while the 250m training area for children and adults would be a traffic-free space for developing cycling skills and planning permission is granted, it is expected the new cycling hub will open in 2027.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Residents in Bristol housing block told £18m refurb project not going ahead
A woman who lives in a council housing block has said she "doesn't want to go home" after residents were told a long-awaited £18m refurbishment project would not go Reid, a resident at Haviland House, in St Jude's, Bristol, said her flat leaks regularly, and is among many residents unhappy with conditions in their City Council has told residents that it is now unable to carry out planned internal refurbishment work because a survey had found that the building's structure required investment first and these works had not been budgeted for. Councillor Barry Parsons said he understood residents' disappointment but that safety was the council's priority. The scheme had been due to improve conditions inside five interlinked 1960s housing blocks - Haviland House, John Cozens House, Tyndall House, Langton House and Charleton of people who live in about 180 homes across the site were informed that the council would not be going ahead with the project earlier this month. After a long campaign from residents, the council had initially agreed to spend money on insulation, roofing and communal areas in June 2024. However, structural engineering contractor, Ridge, found that although the site was safe to live in, it required work "to ensure the continued safety of the building". The council said: "These works were not budgeted for and therefore the council has made the difficult decision to not move ahead with the full proposed refurbishment plan." Ms Reid told the BBC the council had previously "promised" to move her out of the block."They told me they were coming to refurbish my flat and they were going to move me out and refurbish it, but I haven't seen them," she said. "I used to have a leak practically every single day. I'd be in my bed at three o'clock in the morning - it's raining in my bedroom, raining in the passages, raining in the bathroom - it's raining everywhere in my flat."And what do they [the council] do? They give me £20 to turn on my humidifier."Ms Reid said she had not used her bath in more than 20 years due to the "nastiness" that comes through the added: "I don't think they [the council] care - you walk outside and the buildings look disgusting and nasty. "I come home and I don't want to come home. I want to get away from here." Ms Reid's neighbour John Dyer has lived at Haviland House for 27 years and is also unhappy with conditions in his said: "The council cancel everything and they never do nothing. It's just a mess." 'Poor conditions' Parsons said he was "sad" to hear residents' said: "People have been living with poor conditions in their council homes, especially some of our blocks, for many years now."I know what a blow it is for people to now hear we can't proceed."Unfortunately the structural survey we carried out as part of this work revealed that we need to invest in these blocks to make sure they are safe - that has to be our number one priority."Parsons said structural work would start "over the next few months", with inspections and repairs taking place in the coming weeks.
