At a recent Taxi Trade Consultation Meeting, representatives from the Southampton Hackney Association (SHA) informed the Licensing Department at Southampton City Council that the computer generated system of allowing prospective new taxi drivers to tick which box is the right or wrong route to take a customer, has not proved to be adequate.

The old system of a candidate describing to the Licensing Officer the name of roads in Southampton on a set route, how to get from A to B also naming street locations and places of interest was a far better system, and if possible should be put into operation immediately.  

The SHA pointed out that too many customers are dissatified with needing to give a postcode to the taxi driver, so that he or she can enter it on a SAT NAV as soon as they get into a taxi; hence the need for the old ways to be re-introduced.