THE network of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles that criss-crosses the Bradford district day and night really does help to keep us on the move at all hours.

They provide a hugely important service and are one of the methods of transport that are vital to those of us who do not have a car, or who wish to leave their vehicle at home if on a night out, or need to travel somewhere quickly and out of the hours of buses and trains.

Cabbies are also very often the first people that visitors to the district might meet, as they alight from other forms of transport and need to travel on to other destinations in and around Bradford.

Therefore, it is vital that our cabbies present the very best image, both for visitors and local people, and that they fully understand and communicate with their passengers.

As part of new licensing conditions for cabbies, tougher English tests will be brought in for drivers. In a community where many cabbies are of ethnic origin it is vital that everyone understands each other to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.

Some of the questions that will be posed to cabbies to test their fluency do, however, seem a little simplistic. There appears to be a set of three questions which the cabbies must answer, and it would make sense to be more flexible with these to ensure proper understanding in the responses.

But generally there can be few complaints about such measures being brought in. Safety of passengers is paramount and the more confidence people can have in the cabbies the happier everyone will be.