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‘Bradford cabbies will help to boost tourism’

11:30am Monday 13th February 2012 in Bradford By Tanya O'Rourke

SCHEME: Jane Vincent with taxi driver Ahmed Mohammed at the launch of the new tourism campaign SCHEME: Jane Vincent with taxi driver Ahmed Mohammed at the launch of the new tourism campaign

A free customer service and tourism course for taxi drivers and a funding pot for community groups are among a clutch of new projects unveiled by an organisation which promotes the best of the Bradford district.

Jane Vincent, managing director of recruitment firm Candelisa People and co-founder of Positive Bradford, said a year-long apprenticeship for taxi drivers and a customer service course would be on offer.

She said: “Say, for example, someone gets off a train at the Interchange and is new to Bradford the taxi driver can give them some ideas of what there is in Bradford city centre and the wider area.”

The scheme has been welcomed by Bradford Hackney Carriage Drivers' and Owners' Association spokesman Shabir Munir.

He said: “It’s a wonderful idea I think. The first connection for someone from out of town is the taxi driver, they should know where the nice restaurants are and other places of interest in Bradford.”

Also unveiled at a meeting at the Midland Hotel, Bradford, was the Positive Bradford 200 Club, which organisations can join for a fee of £250.

Money gathered will be distributed to community groups across the district.

Positive Bradford is also promoting the city in schools and working with arts development organisation Fabric, which is opening up a new creative space for artists to exhibit and sell their work at the former Zavvi store in the city centre.

The first Positive Bradford Day celebrations last September saw hundreds of people pour into Centenary Square and were such a success organisers are organising another event which will be held on June 22 this year.

Comments(12)

citizen smith says...
11:46am Mon 13 Feb 12

I hope this course will also teach the very basics of safe and courteous driving. Many taxi drivers seem to be oblivious to the existence of quite a few pages of the Highway Code.

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windymiller says...
12:21pm Mon 13 Feb 12

I thought all taxi drivers had to undergo an initial "Rally Driver Advance Course" before collecting their licence to drive a taxi. Seems to me to be a complete waste of time and money considering the only thing Bradford has to offer is a bombsite setting for film production.

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Thee Voice of Reason says...
12:58pm Mon 13 Feb 12

She said: “Say, for example, someone gets off a train at the Interchange and is new to Bradford the taxi driver can give them some ideas of what there is in Bradford city centre and the wider area.”
.
This course shouldn't take long.
.
"Hi, I'm new to Bradford what is there here?"
.
"Nothing of interest I suggest you get back on the train"

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angry bradfordian says...
1:22pm Mon 13 Feb 12

I don't get the idea of this. Whenever I get off a train in an unfamiliar town I've already got a specific reason to go there.
Has anybody ever got in a taxi and asked the driver what there is to do in a place?

I'd agree that the average Bradford taxi driver would be giving a better impression if they stopped tailgating, driving through red lights and cutting up people who could be tourists that are driving.

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mad matt says...
2:21pm Mon 13 Feb 12

There are quite a few who definitely don't know there way round the town as well.
I've lost count of the amount of times I've had to direct the driver just to get him to go in the right general direction from the town centre.

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spudulike says...
2:34pm Mon 13 Feb 12

do you think they could be taught what that stick near the steering wheel is for-the one that operates them yellow flashing lights-they're called indicators-oh and red lights at junctions mean stop

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legallyblonde says...
4:09pm Mon 13 Feb 12

Lol - have I overslept? is it April fools day? what a joke - my daughter came up from London a few weeks ago the first time we had snow - the taxi driver told her off for not warning him there was snow up here (near Queensbury)!!!!! and my daughter in law got a taxi last week booked to Bingley train station and he took her to Keighley by mistake - then tried to charge her the extra!!! and I agree with the previous posters the driving skills should be the first thing improved - they seem to think they are exempt from the highway code.

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Joedavid says...
5:10pm Mon 13 Feb 12

Taxi driver in photo is sat at wrong side of car for a start.

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r-u4real says...
6:27pm Mon 13 Feb 12

You people drive people insane!! Someone is TRYING to do something, usual negative people with there negative comments!!

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Tinybantam says...
7:12pm Mon 13 Feb 12

First of all it would help, if most of the taxi drivers spoke English. One of my family members came up from London to visit friends in Nab Wood. The driver did not appear to understand (a) my Cousin's perfect english, nor where the place that he wanted to go was. The Taxi did not have satnav, and they had to stop several times on the way to ask directions. After going an extremely long way round, they finally arrived in Nab Wood Drive, and the guy tried to charge the whole amount that was on the meter...I think £25 is a little bit too much from the interchange. Needless to say, the taxi driver did not receive that amount. My Cousin gave him a tenner, simply because we had told him that it should be around that price. If he hadn't have known, he might well have paid the full fare.

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Outraged Citizen says...
7:27pm Mon 13 Feb 12

It could be handy if you wanted to know where to score.

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yorkshiredude says...
10:25pm Mon 13 Feb 12

Private hire ftw.

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