75% of new taxi hopefuls fail 'local knowledge' exam
New applicants for taxi, hackney and limousine licences in Galway have among of the highest failure rates in the country for knowledge of their local area.
Figures released by the National Transport Authority show that in the first half of 2018, three-quarters of all local area tests taken in Galway as part of the Driver Entry Test resulted in failures.
New entrants to the SPSV industry (Small Public Service Vehicles – taxis, hackneys and limos) must take an exam in two modules – a knowledge of the industry itself and a separate test on the local area in which they wish to be licensed.
The NTA figures show the highest test failure rate for the first six months of this year was in Louth at 78%, followed by Offaly and Kildare at 76% and Galway and Waterford at 75%.
The lowest failure rate in the first half of the year was recorded in Kerry at 32%, followed by Wexford at 33% and Longford at 38%.
During the period, the average failure rate for the local area test nationally was 67%.
The failure rate recorded in Galway in 2017 was 72%; the highest was in Leitrim at 92% and the lowest was in Kerry at 42%. The national average that year was 73%.
In 2016, the failure rate in Galway was 74%; the highest was in Cavan at 92% and lowest in Kerry, again at 42%. The national average was 82%.
The 2015 figures show a 77% test failure rate in Galway; the highest was in Monaghan at 100% followed by Tipperary at 92% and the lowest fail rate was in Kerry at 39%. The national average fail rate was 81%.
A note with the figures explains that the results are ‘per test taken’, and points out that as candidates can take the test more than once, the success rate on a ‘per candidate’ basis is higher