Uber warns TfL English tests will cost thousands of drivers their jobs

English exam: Drivers will have to take the exam in order to work for Uber
Andrew Matthews/PA
Chloe Chaplain11 August 2016

Uber has warned that English language tests being introduced for private hire drivers could cost thousands of jobs.

Transport for London has introduced new rules requiring drivers from non-English speaking countries to undertake a £200 written English exam.

From October 1, drivers who don't pass the test will not have their private hire licences renewed.

But in a letter to Mayor Sadiq Khan, Uber chiefs criticised the rule as contradicting his campaign to 'Keep London Open' after the Brexit vote.

Uber has written to London customers calling on them to object to the plans, saying: “Uber has already invested £100m in London - and we plan to invest more. It’s why we support the new Mayor’s Keep London Open campaign.

“But bureaucratic new rules from Transport for London send the opposite message and threaten the livelihood of thousands of drivers.

“We support spoken English skills, but this exam is harder than the test for British citizenship.”

The company has asked customers to support an appeal, sent to the Mayor, calling on him to reconsider plans, adding: “As he says, everyone should have the chance to succeed - whatever their background. Let’s keep London open."

The new regulations require "all private hire drivers who are not from a majority English speaking country to present a valid English language certificate with a B1 level of English."

Anyone who does not have the appropriate level of English will not be granted a licence.

Undermining message: The Mayor has been accused of contracting his own campaign 
Rob Stothard/Getty Images

A spokesman for the Mayor said he stands by his message that London welcomes workers from all backgrounds, but that the regulations will "improve safety and quality" of transport.

He said: “Sadiq has been encouraging as many businesses and organisations as possible to support the London is Open campaign, helping spread the message that London is still open for business, open to ideas, and open to people from all over the world.

“That work does not deflect from his determination to create a vibrant taxi and private hire market, with space for all providers to flourish, while driving up standards by introducing a comprehensive package of measures that will improve safety and the quality of service offered to all Londoners.”

But an Uber spokesman argued the exam was unnecessarily challenging, adding: “We think requiring people to complete a two-hour written exam and pay £200 for the privilege goes way beyond what's needed to be able to drive people safely from A to B and communicate with their customers.

“It will affect thousands of licensed private hire drivers - if they do not pay for and pass a B1 written English exam then they will lose their licence and thus their livelihood.”

Helen Chapman, TfL’s General Manager of Taxi and Private Hire, said: “We are working to modernise and improve standards in London’s private hire industry.

“The proposal for an English language requirement was supported by 80 per cent of the 20,000 respondents in our recent consultation, suggesting very strong public support.

“We think that it’s appropriate for this requirement to apply to private hire drivers, who will often be responsible for transporting vulnerable passengers and is in line with Home Office intentions for customer facing public sector workers.”

TfL added that it "considers it necessary for drivers to be able to communicate in English, particularly to discuss a fare or route, but also brief a passenger on a public safety issue like the use of a seat belt or what happens in an emergency."

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