Taxi drivers in Hertfordshire say they feel "insulted and degraded" after claiming they're being told by the council they must take an English competency test to renew their licence.

The drivers said the stress of having to take the recently-introduced test has led to "sleepless nights", with fears it could force some people out of the trade.

East Hertfordshire District Council said the changes followed the introduction of new government guidance to maximise the safety of the public, and drivers had been consulted.

However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has spoken to a number of drivers who were angry at the changes, and said other authorities had not applied the guidance so broadly.

To become a licenced hackney carriage driver or a dual driver, the applicant is required to undertake a medical, enhanced DBS check, a driving test, and a knowledge test, as well as the new English proficiency test.

For experienced drivers, that's a test too far, with one driver saying he couldn't "sleep in the weeks" before his assessment.

'It just seems a bit of a waste of time to me'

The driver, who has worked in the area for 35 years, added: "You hear people say 'I had sleepless nights'.

"I went through a couple of weeks just before I had done the test where I just didn't sleep and I'm thinking 'well I was good enough 35 years ago to give me a licence then all of a sudden bring this in'.

"If we said to the [council officers] we want you to come out at 1pm and we're going to give you a car each with no learning, we want you to pick from that side of Hertford and take people home – that's exactly what they've asked us to do with an English test – they wouldn't be able to do it."

He added: "It's nothing that we would have to do, we don't have to write, we don't have to use punctuation, we just have a nice conversation with the customer if they want to talk.

"There are no writing skills to be done with it, it just seems a bit of a waste of time to me."

The test includes sections on understanding conversations, completing and repeating sentences, as well as having to retype a sentence exactly as they hear it within 25 seconds and typing up a passage from memory.

The drivers, who asked to remain anonymous as they will need to renew their licences with the council, raised particular concerns with the typing aspects of the test, and said the time limits added extra stress.

Drivers are able to take the test at any point, and multiple times if necessary, ahead of their renewal date but each attempt costs £50. Once the test has been passed it does not need to be renewed, and if someone has other qualifications they are exempt.

However, for those leaving the test until close to their renewal date it could mean they risk losing their licence if they fail.

'Worst possible timing after two years of lockdown'

Another driver said: "Why should a guy that's worked on a taxi rank for 24 years suddenly have to turn up and say, 'sorry I can't do that because I can't read or write'. How demeaning is that?"

He said there's a view "all cab drivers do is drive drunk people about at night for kebabs", but added he has his own contracts with schools and families as a regular driver from his 30 years of experience.

He added he often serves as a first point of contact for safeguarding concerns or helping people get to appointments – all of which can't be assessed by an online exam.

Other drivers we spoke to said they found it "insulting and quite degrading", and said it was brought in at "the worst possible" time following two years of lockdown.

Another driver who has been working for 33 years has passed the test, but said he didn't believe it was fair for the rules to be introduced retrospectively, and called for the council to grant grandfather rights for experienced drivers.

He added: "Some of the guys I work with, they're great cab drivers, lovely cars, nice guys and don't get complaints but academically they're worried about it, because now [the council] want you to use keyboard skills.

"I've written an email once and that was to the council about two weeks ago so my keyboard skills are absolutely negative, but I can change a spark plug on a Nissan Juke. They're taking me out of my comfort zone totally, and saying if you don't pass this you're going to lose your livelihood – that seems crazy."

What the council says

East Herts Council said the tests followed new government guidelines introduced in 2020, and the council had consulted drivers before of any changes.

The council added it will continue to speak to drivers about their concerns, and offer financial, practical and emotional support.

Councillor Jan Goodeve (Conservative, Hertford Castle), executive member for planning and growth, said: "All local authorities across the country will have English Competency Tests in place or be looking to introduce them.

"This follows the government introducing new standards in 2020 to maximise the safety of the public. A lack of basic language skills could mean a driver can't fully communicate with passengers or understand important written documents relating to the protection of children and vulnerable adults.

"Public consultation started in East Herts in December 2020, including information sent directly to over 300 drivers. As a direct result of this, we changed our approach so that drivers who can show a suitable qualification demonstrating their English skills don't have to sit the test.

"We have continued to listen to drivers through meetings and one-to-one discussions, paying attention to their concerns. Our team has provided a wide range of financial, practical and emotional support, recognising what a difficult two years it has been.

"We've seen many drivers successfully pass the test, including several who have not attended school or taken an exam for decades, people who don't have English as their first language and individuals with hearing difficulties.

"We continue to urge anyone with concerns to get in touch."