Perth & Kinross council members have made the decision to scrap a taxi and private hire drivers' refresher test for cabbies who are renewing their licence.
The exam, dubbed 'The Knowledge', was introduced by the local council last year.
The test would quiz drivers over their knowledge of local street names, landmarks and routes.
During the council's latest Licensing Committee meeting, bosses agreed to continue with the exam, but have decided that current drivers renewing their licence would no longer be required to complete the test again.
It was agreed that as well as new drivers, any driver who comes before the licensing committee, for any reason, can also be quizzed.
The committee heard that out of six drivers who had to apply for new licenses, after failing to renew their old ones, only fifty per cent were able to pass the refresher first time.
Convener Chris Ahern said: “It shows we have got drivers out there who aren’t particularly au fait with the regulations or the requirements for taxi drivers.
“We don’t wish to deter people from being a driver, but often a visitor’s first impression of Perth is a taxi driver and they have to know their stuff.”
The committee heard that testing current drivers would be too time consuming for staff and wasn't completely necessary.
Mr Ahern added: “I proposed that we allow provision for the option of making a license holder take part or all of the taxi driver test, dependent of course on the reasons that they have been put before the committee.
“Should they subsequently fail the test, the driver will have the opportunity to resit. But should they fail the resit, they will be required to be placed back before the committee to determine their suitability to retain their licence.”
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