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Plans to introduce Advanced Driving Test for private hire drivers will be reviewed again, says Mayor
Plans to introduce an Advanced Driving Test for private hire drivers will be reviewed again once new government safety standards are set in place first, says Mayor of London.
In 2018 Transport for London (TfL) first announced plans to introduce advanced driving tests for private hire drivers in order to improve passenger safety.
Trade unions and private hire representatives were however unhappy at the proposals, claiming drivers would have to pay for the extra tests. Since then the plans have been on the back-burner.
Keith Prince, Conservative Assembly Member, asked the Mayor how the lack of progression in the driving test for private hire drivers sits with his Vision Zero objective.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, replied: “Along with Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police Service, I remain fully committed to the Vision Zero objective of eradicating deaths and serious injuries from our roads and making London a safer, healthier and greener place.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the taxi and private hire industry in London, and licensees are facing significant personal and economic challenges.
“In light of this, and after carefully considering the responses to the earlier Improving Safety in PHVs consultation, TfL is prioritising the implementation of the Department for Transport’s Statutory Standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, all of which seek to make services safer for passengers.
“Once these standards have been introduced and the industry is on the road to recovery following the pandemic, TfL will review any outstanding proposals in its consultation, including the Advanced Driving Test, to determine whether they are still required.”
Major cities around the world have committed to ‘Vision Zero’ which aims to end the toll of deaths and injury seen on their roads and transport networks.
London is seen to be at the forefront of this approach and the Mayor's Transport Strategy sets out the goal that, by 2041, all deaths and serious injuries will be eliminated from London's transport network.
