Specialist safety training for taxi drivers

Burnley taxi drivers have been receiving safety training at specialist sessions.
A group of successful Burnley taxi driver candidates are presented with their certificates (s)A group of successful Burnley taxi driver candidates are presented with their certificates (s)
A group of successful Burnley taxi driver candidates are presented with their certificates (s)

Themis has been working together with Burnley Borough Council and Lancashire Police to provide training in order to raise awareness of important safeguarding issues.

The course, led by Themis and Burnley College safeguarding and prevent manager and trainer Janet Crossley, is a positive look at how drivers can quickly identify and aid individuals who may be in vulnerable situations.

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More than 200 taxi drivers have been trained so far in the programme, which hopes to reach every private hire and hackney carriage driver in the Burnley district.

The course has been commissioned by the council who has underlined its importance by paying for each driver’s training until the end of the year.

The training offers a huge benefit to the taxi drivers, providing them with the knowledge and understanding to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of their passengers, especially as their busiest time of year approaches.

Many drivers have now booked on to additional Themis training in health and safety to further boost their skills.

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Mohammed Arif, chairman of Burnley Private Hire Association, said: “This training course has been important to help the vulnerable in our area and to raise awareness of safeguarding amongst our drivers and everyone who completed the training had found it to be a useful and interesting course.”

Janet Crossley added: “Everyone has a role to play in promoting safeguarding, safety and well-being. Due to the nature of their job, taxi drivers can find themselves in situations where they are with young people and vulnerable adults who could be in need of help.

“Every taxi driver enrolled on this specialist course has been enthusiastic and ready to learn about these important issues. The feedback we have received from candidates who have completed the course has been overwhelmingly positive.”