Taxi Driver

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Taxi Driver. A Taxi Driver drives and tends motor cars to professionally and effectively transport passengers safely to their destinations, at a metered or prescribed fee. A qualified learner will be able to: • Drive a legally compliant taxi. • Service customers in the taxi environment. • Manage taxi routing. • Comply with relevant rules and regulations.

Learners credited with this qualification are working, or intend working, in the commercial road transport industry as taxi drivers. This qualification builds on light vehicle driving competence, and credits competent drivers, who are driving vehicles carrying passengers for commercial purposes. The demand for this qualification lies primarily in the taxi transport industry's requirement for drivers to have employable competence beyond that of a basic driving license and professional driving permit. Currently, more than 150 000 individuals work in the sector that would benefit from this qualification. Learners can be persons entering the sector, persons already working in the sector as drivers, persons already working in the field in a non-driving capacity, and/or self-employed persons within the sector. Equipping informal entrepreneurs with managerial skills and high level of education is essential for the development of the informal economy. This qualification has been designed to address major gaps between the existing training systems and the real expressed needs of informal business operators. The critical needs include developing best practice approaches to driver and vehicles standards and compliance with greater emphasis on industry self-regulation. The drivers will be able to deal with different situation including amongst others emergency and customer service. There is a critical need in the industry to recognise learner competence regarding professional driving, and to ensure that legal requirements are adhered to. In South Africa, the transport industry is experiencing a shortage of competence in and good training for professional taxi driving. This qualification meets the requirements of the taxi industry that has developed into the dominant public transport provider in South Africa and is a beacon of black economic empowerment. The taxi industry in South Africa has evolved to compete with highly regulated and inefficient bus and rail services. The industry has displayed great levels of resilience and innovation in the face of shifting political and socio-economic conditions and has become the dominant mode of public transport in South Africa. However, the industry is plagued with violence, poor road safety and low financial margins. Direct costs of poor driving include human and economic costs. Improved professional taxi driving could influence the South African economy in direct transport, social and economic costs alone to the value of millions of Rands each year. By improving professional taxi driving competence, road safety is improved and social and economic costs associated with road accidents are decreased. The capacity of the learners in this qualification will impact on this situation. The taxi industry is the dominant mode of transport in South Africa. As such economy relies heavily on the continued existence of the industry to mobilise South Africa's workforce whether it is in its current from or some new structure. Regulations of certain key aspects of the industry's operation seem to be only warrant of a sustainable taxi industry. Although regulation will not happen without a fair amount of resistance, the payoff in each of the areas reviewed will be far greater than initial cost and effort

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL for access to the external integrated summative assessment: Accredited providers and approved workplaces must apply the internal assessment criteria specified in the related curriculum document to establish and confirm prior learning. Accredited providers and workplaces must confirm prior learning by issuing a statement of result or certifying a work experience record. RPL for access to the qualification: Accredited providers and approved workplaces may recognise prior learning against the relevant access requirements. Entry Requirements: Minimum of NQF Level 1 and Drivers licence.

• The ability to drive a legally compliant taxi.
• The ability to service customers in the taxi environment.
• The ability to manage taxi routing.
• Comply with relevant rules and regulations specifications, policies, standards or laws with regards to transit of public passenger.