Taxi drivers may soon have to pass chatting test for driving licence!

London, July 29 : Draft rules under consideration may soon make it compulsory for one to pass a 15-minutes conversation test to obtain a taxi driver's licence in Walsall, England.

The test would require applicants to convince their examiners that they could keep passengers entertained on a journey.

The drivers would be discussing topics like their favourite places in the West Midlands with the examiners.

The test, originally designed after concerns about foreign drivers' standard of English, is expected to be approved by Walsall Council at a meeting on July 30.

Council chiefs believe that it may help root out surly taxi drivers in the town.

The plan, however, is likely to face opposition from local drivers.

"It makes no sense at all to me, drivers need to be concentrating on what they are doing on the roads, it is no good them chatting away to customers and then ending up in Birmingham instead of Bloxwich," the Telegraph quoted Aurang Zaib, 46, who has been a taxi driver in Walsall since 1984, as saying.

Sajid Hussain, 35, manager of Walsall Radio Cars said: "A lot of taxi drivers can do their job properly but they may not be particularly well spoken. Obviously it is important they are polite and can talk to customers and keep them happy but many don't communicate well, although I have never had a complaint about drivers being rude."

ANI