We're urging everyone in King's Lynn & West Norfolk to treat taxi drivers and their vehicles with the respect they deserve.
Our new "Respect your taxi driver" campaign has launched in December 2016. We want you to know about the in-depth checks taxi drivers have to pass before we issue them a licence. We also want you to know about the unacceptable behaviour taxi drivers are experiencing from a small minority of their passengers, so you can help us put a stop to it.
Checks for drivers
As well as the tests all taxi drivers must pass by law, we ask them to pass a knowledge test. The test includes questions on licensing law, the Highway Code, local points of interest, and literacy and numeracy. We also require that drivers' vehicles are less than 10 years old, with less than 250,000 miles on the clock.
To find out more about the tests taxi drivers must pass, visit our taxi and private hire pages.
These checks ensure that all our licensed taxi drivers are fit and proper drivers, in safe and reliable vehicles. In return the drivers ask to be treated with respect.
Bad behaviour from passengers
Some of the unacceptable behaviour by taxi passengers reported to us includes:
- Driver distraction (touching controls, general rowdiness)
- Vehicle disrespect (feet on seats etc)
- Vehicle soiling (vomiting, urinating and food soiling)
- Vehicle damage (eg smashed wing mirror)
- Driver abuse (abusive language, physical threats, racist abuse)
- Refusal to obey the law and wear a seatbelt
- Refusal to pay fares
The Respect your taxi driver campaign features Jim, Terry, Teresa and Gary: licensed taxi drivers all currently working in west Norfolk. In these short videos, they share their perspectives on their jobs, and their passengers' behaviour.
Look out for Jim, Terry, Teresa and Gary on posters around the borough, and on social media.