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London-born private hire taxi drivers have hit out at a “farcical” new rule forcing them to prove their English language skills or risk losing their licence.

Drivers who have lived in the capital for their whole lives now say they have to fork out £180 for a written essay and speaking test if they do not have evidence of secondary school-level qualifications.

Private hire operators in the city have called the new ruling from Transport for London “insulting” and “penalising the thick” - but TfL said it was "essential for public safety".

Trevor Bedwell, a private hire driver who was born in Shepherd’s Bush and now lives in Kingston, said he had to write “an essay on snow and a magazine article on healthy living” as part of the language test.

The 52-year-old received a letter from TfL telling him he must take the English language test or prove he had a GCSE-level qualification before he could renew his licence under the new policy.

Mr Bedwell, who did not receive any secondary school qualifications, had to take a half-day off of work to take the test.

He told the Standard: “They’re discriminatory against me for being thick at school.

“Maybe my grammar is not quite right, but I can get round London really well.”

He said: “I have lived my whole life in London and the only language I speak is English.

“I suffered this humiliation as I need my licence to work, which I have done so since 1992 in the private hire industry.

“I still am not aware of what they require on the written test as I had to write an essay on snow and a magazine article on healthy living.”

Simon Klass, a private hire driver who lives in Edgware, said he and other drivers are “livid”.

“It makes no sense,” he told the Standard. “It’s an insult.”

“First of all they have a test, and second they charge for the test. It makes no sense.

“I can understand testing people who are not native to this country, but I have got by the last 47 years.”

Steve Garelick, of the GMB union, called TfL’s policy “a sledgehammer to crack a nut”.

He said: "The audacity of TfL imposing these expensive and unnecessary tests on more than 110,000 drivers is scarcely believable.

"Forcing workers - many born and raised in Britain - to fork out £200 just to prove they can speak English is totally unacceptable.

"GMB recognises the need for drivers to have good communication skills - but these measures are above and beyond what is required.”

The GMB is planning a protest outside City Hall on December 8 against the new policy.

Many other drivers took to Twitter to complain about the new policy.

Transport for London had fought a legal battle with app Uber over the plans to introduce the tests, leading to TfL deciding to bring them in across the board – rather than giving drivers from English-speaking countries and exemption.

Helen Chapman, TfL’s General Manager for Taxi and Private Hire said: “It is essential for public safety that all licensed drivers can communicate in English at an appropriate level.

"Drivers must be able to communicate with passengers to discuss a route, or fare, as well as reading, understanding and responding to important regulatory, safety and travel information.

"We are clear that this is a crucial element of the service provided by drivers and is part of our wide-ranging plans to improve safety and increase standards across the private hire industry.”

Private hire drivers applying for a licence must show evidence of qualification, for example a GCSE at A-G or equivalent, proving proficiency in the English language. Failing that, drivers must have a certificate from a language test provider proving a level of English.