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skyringWell, tomorrow I begin my five day course to become a licensed taxidriver. I'm really looking forward to this, and I'm a little sorry that I didn't get involved last year. I was given the bum drum by someone, and it was my impression that I could actually go backwards in terms of money if I had a bad day. As it happens, this happens all too frequently in my current bookseller occupation!
Anyway, it looks like I'll be paid well for doing something I like, namely driving around Canberra.
I went off to a bookshop this afternoon to buy a new Canberra Street Directory. This will be a book I'm going to become very familiar with in the weeks and months to come. And it's a tax deduction.
Tomorrow I've got to be at the training rooms (at the Canberra Cabs offices in Fyshwick) at 0900. I'll drop Kerri off at work before the course and pick her up afterwards.
There's going to be a bit of excitement outside as some of the drivers will be staging a strike in protest at the new automated voice-recognition system which they reckon has been costing them fares. I notice that they won't be protesting until 1000, after the morning rush.
The background to the new system is that the old system was resource intensive, and it took too long to get through to an operator, on average. So the company installed a new system which can recognise pickup and destinations via computerised voice recognition.
Only problem is that they released it about two months early, through pressure from the government to improve service. The nature of the difficulty hasn't been officially given out, but one telling letter to the editor noted that a local man had three unsuccessful attempts to make a booking before his American-born wife got through on her first go.
Anyway, it looks like the first few weeks were the rockiest and the system is now pretty much operating as intended. Presumably there is some "learning" capacity in the recognition software, and you no longer have to speak like a Silicon Valley geek to be recognised.
I haven't got a timetable for the course, but I've got a rough idea of what is covered:
* The relevant Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Regulations 2002 and Canberra Cabs’ By-Laws
* When to apply the various fares
* How to handle the different methods of payment including account work and EFTPOS
* The correct radio procedures on voice
* Locations of taxi zones
* Places of interest including accommodation, churches, clubs and regular pick up points in Woden, Belconnen, Tuggeranong, Gungahlin and the City.
* Shortest practical routes
* Canberra’s history and tourist attractions
* Correct emergency procedures
* Required standards for driver presentation and car care
* The standards of customer service for passengers, WATs and courier work
* The roles of Airport commissionaires and procedures for lost property
* Procedures following accidents involving taxis
There's also a "day of sightseeing", which is probably a dry run of the taxi license test, conducted by government officers from the Motor Registry. Mike, my teacher for the jockeying part of the training, revealed that I'll have to get from one significant point to another without referring to a map, so I guess we'll be praticing this.
Mike also mentioned that Mick, the head instructor, doesn't mind an early mark on Fridays, so I may have Friday afternoon off.
I'll provide a full update of Monday's activities this time tomorrow. stay tuned!
Anyway, it looks like I'll be paid well for doing something I like, namely driving around Canberra.
I went off to a bookshop this afternoon to buy a new Canberra Street Directory. This will be a book I'm going to become very familiar with in the weeks and months to come. And it's a tax deduction.
Tomorrow I've got to be at the training rooms (at the Canberra Cabs offices in Fyshwick) at 0900. I'll drop Kerri off at work before the course and pick her up afterwards.
There's going to be a bit of excitement outside as some of the drivers will be staging a strike in protest at the new automated voice-recognition system which they reckon has been costing them fares. I notice that they won't be protesting until 1000, after the morning rush.
The background to the new system is that the old system was resource intensive, and it took too long to get through to an operator, on average. So the company installed a new system which can recognise pickup and destinations via computerised voice recognition.
Only problem is that they released it about two months early, through pressure from the government to improve service. The nature of the difficulty hasn't been officially given out, but one telling letter to the editor noted that a local man had three unsuccessful attempts to make a booking before his American-born wife got through on her first go.
Anyway, it looks like the first few weeks were the rockiest and the system is now pretty much operating as intended. Presumably there is some "learning" capacity in the recognition software, and you no longer have to speak like a Silicon Valley geek to be recognised.
I haven't got a timetable for the course, but I've got a rough idea of what is covered:
* The relevant Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Regulations 2002 and Canberra Cabs’ By-Laws
* When to apply the various fares
* How to handle the different methods of payment including account work and EFTPOS
* The correct radio procedures on voice
* Locations of taxi zones
* Places of interest including accommodation, churches, clubs and regular pick up points in Woden, Belconnen, Tuggeranong, Gungahlin and the City.
* Shortest practical routes
* Canberra’s history and tourist attractions
* Correct emergency procedures
* Required standards for driver presentation and car care
* The standards of customer service for passengers, WATs and courier work
* The roles of Airport commissionaires and procedures for lost property
* Procedures following accidents involving taxis
There's also a "day of sightseeing", which is probably a dry run of the taxi license test, conducted by government officers from the Motor Registry. Mike, my teacher for the jockeying part of the training, revealed that I'll have to get from one significant point to another without referring to a map, so I guess we'll be praticing this.
Mike also mentioned that Mick, the head instructor, doesn't mind an early mark on Fridays, so I may have Friday afternoon off.
I'll provide a full update of Monday's activities this time tomorrow. stay tuned!
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no subject
Date: 2006-08-28 06:47 pm (UTC)