Almost half the drivers taking the compulsory test for private hire drivers are failing, and some of them would not even past a learners test, according the Driving Standards Authority.

That fact in itself could be the reason behind the current shortage of chauffeurs, which has been described by many companies as a ‘driver crisis’.

At a time when finding a chauffeur or private hire driver is difficult enough, more and more authorities across the country are turning to the Driving Standards Authority to filter first time chauffeurs in an attempt to eliminate dangerous drivers.

Around 40 councils currently rely on the DSA to test all new drivers on application of a Hackney Carriage Licence to see if they are a safe and capable driver. But, what does this mean for the chauffeuring and private hire industry, and the chauffeur who has been driving safely for many years? Could you pass a DSA test?

The current lengthy application process has already become and challenge in itself, is the new testing process just adding more time and cost to applicants, and making it impossible for a company to find a chauffeur?
It already takes many months to obtain a Hackney Carriage Licence through the local authority, in the best case, six weeks, in the worst can I have heard of recently – ten months!

A criminal records bureau check and a doctor’s medical have to be carried out, and now in some areas a test has to be taken which swallows up more cost and time.

There are not many jobs which require the applicant to spend around £300 up-front, and wait weeks before knowing if you have been successful or not. So, are the DSA tests just another obstacle to climb for both the new employee and employer?

The Role of the Driving Standards Authority is to maintain a high level of driving, and ensure that a Hackney Carriage Licence holder is a fit and capable driver the modern day situations and conditions on our roads.

The authority is responsible for 1.6 million driving tests taken in Great Britain each year on LGV’s, PCV’s, cars, motorcycles and other special vehicles. The DSA also trains, tests and monitors the performance of all examiners.
Each applicant for the Hackney Carriage Licence will go through a procedure which is sure to bring back horrid memories of your original driving test. The applicant is taken out to his vehicle by the examiner, and asked to read a distant registration plate.

You will be then asked to drive a pre-planned route, and your planning, awareness, control and general driving skills will be assessed which will ultimately decide if you have passed or failed!

It seems to be a back to basics test, but the DSA is convinced that the scheme takes a completely different stance than the ‘L’ test. Instead of reversing and other manoeuvre being carried out in the driving test centre, the applicant is asked to pull up at the side of the road, and told to basically go back the way they came, by turning around their vehicle in a safe and convenient place. Parking in front of places such as driveways is overlooked, as the DSA want to take in to account real life scenarios which the private hire driver would come across everyday.

So, in a world where feeding the steering wheel and observing every speed limit is difficult enough, will you fail if any of these rules are breached? Well apparently not!

Although the test seems like a harsh way of filtering out bad drivers, the DSA is ultimately looking for dangerous drivers. Drivers who do not take other drivers into consideration, and put pedestrians and passengers safety at risk will be penalised and will not pass!

Assistant Chief Examiner for the DSA, who also designed the test, Kathy Martin told The Chauffeur Magazine, ‘There’s no need to be hesitant about the test, as there is many ways an applicant to prepare themselves to increase their chances of being successful in the test.’

She added, ‘Many drivers turn up with the attitude that they do not have to be test as they have been driving for many years, but if they just refresh themselves with the highway code, and by getting a friend or professional driver to asses their driving would dramatically increase their chances.’

So, what is the problem?

56% of drivers taking the test pass, so there is obviously a problem somewhere. But the DSA insists that the tests are not too difficult, just that the standard of a large percentage of people coming to them are not up to standard.

It seems if there is far too much paperwork and procedures to go through when a driver applies for a Hackney Carriage Licence. Anywhere up to ten months is not good enough and something needs to be done to speed up this painful process.

If the whole procedure including the Criminal Records Bureau is dealt with quicker, then surely is wouldn’t be a major problem if someone fails the test, as a re-take could be taken sooner than later.

But whatever is causing this ‘driver crisis’ with in the private hire and chauffeuring industry, it needs to be sorted! The facts speak for themselves, if nearly half of drivers are failing the DSA tests, then what is going to happen when all authorities are using the scheme and every driver in the country is tested – it hardly bares thinking about.

It is not that drivers are against being tested and making sure that those putting lives are risk are taken off the roads, it is probably the fact that for a few mistakes, their livelihood which they have many years to build up could simply disappear.

Royale Limousine Manufacturers unveiled its new interior designs along with its innovative and exclusive touch sensitive control system at the Limousine Chauffeur Transportation Show in Las Vegas Nevada.

Royales touch sensitive control system incorporates all of the lighting control, heat and air conditioning, divider functions, stereo, TV, VCR and DVD functions in one overhead control panel.

Users skip through a series of simple menus by touching the selection. One touch takes the users from the main menu to control of the selected system features where a submenu controls the component features.

Incorporating audio/video systems like the stereo, TV, VCR and DVD eliminates the need for remote controls as well as adding the simplicity of operation.

Hard to understand stereo systems are replaced with simple to use menus that drive functions like power, channel search, source select, volume up and down.

Hard to use TV, VCP and DVD remotes are also replaced with easy to follow menus for TV power, channel search, source select, play, fast forward and pause to name only a few.

Completely functional and programmable, applying the power kill switch in the driver compartment not only kills the power to that feature but also removes the touch menu button from the rear overhead control. If you don’t want the rear passenger to operate the sunroof then apply the power kill switch in the driver compartment and the sunroof button disappears from the passenger menu.

Simple user messages can also be programmed into the system from “Thank You for Not Smoking” and “Please Buckle Up” to small advertisements that will flash intermittently when the system is not being used.

The new touch screen system is available in all models of Royale Limousines which were made from April 2003. For information on all the limousines manufactured by Royale visit their website at www.royalelimo.com.