OLDHAM Council has made it mandatory for private hire and hackney carriage drivers to hold a Road Passenger Transport qualification.
All the borough’s 1,300 licensed drivers will be required to attain an NVQ Level 2 in Road Passenger Transport.
The training will focus on improving knowledge of health and safety, professional driving, customer service, providing assistance, transporting children, and the vulnerable, and licensing.
Councillor Norman Briggs, Chair of the Licensing Committee, said: “Our licensed drivers are some of our biggest ambassadors for Oldham.
“They represent the borough and are often a first contact with somebody visiting the town.
“We are one of the first council’s in the region to mandate this and we look forward to having a fully qualified and competent fleet of drivers supporting our residents and visitors”.
Abdul Khayal, Chair of the Oldham Hackney Association, said: “We as an Association welcome the opportunity to engage and further develop our skills for the benefit of raising standards and promoting public confidence.
“We work well with the Council in developing policies and I look forward to seeing drivers taking part.”