Durham taxi assessment to prepare for taxi driving test

For those intending to take the Durham County Council taxi driving test CDDFRS offer taxi assessment to prepare prospective taxi drivers for the Taxi test. This test is a suitability test for taxi drivers wanting to gain their taxi driver licence.

A qualified driving instructor will assess the taxi drivers suitability and where necessary provide advice and coaching in the areas which require attention. The session will be of sixty minutes duration and at the end of the taxi assessment the taxi driver will receive a written report and a thorough de-brief of their performance.

On arrival the taxi driver must produce their driving licence and be in possession of their National Insurance number to enable the licence to be inspected via DVLA ‘View licence online’ the taxi driver assessment cannot go ahead unless both documents are produced.

This suitability test for taxi driver assessment includes the assessment of both the vehicle and the driver. The driving test is based on modern driving practices focused on passenger and general road safety.

The vehicle produced for the assessment must include;

• Taxed and insured for the purpose of the assessment.
• Fitted with a seatbelt for the instructor.
• Fitted with a seat head restraint for the instructor.
• All windows including front and rear screens must be clean and unrestricted.
• In car entertainment systems must be switched off or inaudible for the duration of the test
• The car being in a reasonable state of cleanliness.

The instructor must be allowed to temporarily fix a rear-view mirror to the front screen for the duration of the assessment and be able to have an unrestricted through the rear screen.