Street Knowledge Test to remain for Aberdeen taxi drivers – but changes made to help get more cabbies on the road

By Kirstie Topp

September 6 2022, 5:00 pm

Taxis sit at Aberdeen's Back Wynd rank. Picture by Kenny Elrick/DCT Media.

Councillors have agreed to keep the controversial street knowledge test in place for all of Aberdeen’s taxi drivers – but resits will be made easier in an effort to tackle a staffing crisis.

Drivers are required to prove their knowledge of the city before being granted a licence.

But a cabbie shortage resulted in calls to overhaul the street knowledge requirements in July, with long queues blighting weekend outings for many revellers.

Some argued the exam contributed to the crisis, making it too difficult for people to join the profession.

Taxi drivers in Aberdeen have to pass the Street Knowledge Test before getting their licences. Picture by Scott Baxter/DC Thomson

Resit option preferred by councillors

Councillors today reached for compromise.

The test will remain, but from now on if a candidate fails just one of the four sections they will have the chance to resit it.

Should they fail more than one, they will have to sit the entire test again.

The proposal was put forward by councillor Steve Delaney.

He said: “We are very sympathetic to the fact that we need to get more taxi drivers on the road.

“And it’s rather unfair that failing one section of the test means a whole resit.”

Now any candidate that has failed one section of the Street Knowledge Test has three months to resit it

He suggested that candidates would get three months to pass the final section.

Mr Delaney said the time limit would “hopefully focus people’s minds and get people back on the roads nice and quickly”.

What had been proposed?

This summer, a public consultation was launched with opinions sought on amending the test or axing it entirely.

The consultation had the largest number of responses the council had ever received with 1,112 people taking part.

Plans to scrap the test proved to be unpopular, with 665 people opposed to the idea.

What did taxi drivers think?

One taxi driver said: “Abolishing the knowledge test will devalue the trade and would be a kick in the teeth for drivers who have previously committed a lot of time and money into passing this test.”

While another said that the move would “make a mockery of all the hard work us taxi drivers went through to obtain our badge”.

Rainbow City Taxis managing director Russell McLeod. Picture by Paul Glendell

ComCab Aberdeen, Rainbow City Taxis and Aberdeen Taxis today asked for councillors to keep the test in place.

Rainbow City’s managing director Russell McLeod said: “Aberdeen has one of the most knowledgeable taxi trades in the country, we do not want that to be eroded.”