We're running out of cabbies

Taxi drivers are disappearing, so Wiltshire Council is trying to get people to take up the trade.

Not only are taxi drivers needed by the community, but Wiltshire Council also needs drivers to fulfil its growing number of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) school and social care contracts. These contracts offer regular work and hours.

Wiltshire Council has lots of contracts available which start at around £30 a day for short routes, increasing to £250+ a day for longer routes. Drivers are free to combine these contracts with rank work.

To become a taxi driver takes around six weeks and costs around £400. To be licensed people need to provide proof and undertake these simple checks:
• Proof of Identity
• Driving Licence held
• Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check
• Right to Work in the UK
• Medical (if applicable)
• Undertake on-line Safeguarding Training
• Take a guidelines test
• Knowledge test (if applying for a hackney carriage licence)

To find out more about becoming a driver, how to licence a vehicle as a taxi, and for an application pack visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/licences-permits-transport
To find out about SEND school transport and social care contracts and how to bid for one email Wiltshire Council's Passenger Transport Unit at Passengertransport@wiltshire.gov.uk