Bolton taxi drivers are urged to sign up for free safeguarding and disability awareness training before the deadline on October 31st, 2024.
The training is set out in the Department for Transport's Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards, introduced in July 2019.
It was particularly encouraged by disability rights groups who advocated for better accessibility in public transport.
"There's still over twelve weeks to go to sign up and get the online training completed," said Councillor Sue Haworth, Bolton Council's cabinet member for regulatory services.
The free training covers recognising signs of abuse, human trafficking, and best practices for safeguarding vulnerable adults, children, and young people.
Originally planned for completion by the end of 2023, only around a third of Bolton's roughly 1,500 taxi drivers had finished the programme by then.
As a result, the deadline for free enrollment has been extended to October 31st, 2024.
"Drivers who are left untrained after this date will need to pay a charge to complete the mandatory training when renewing their licences," explained Cllr Haworth. "It's much better to take advantage of the free offer now."
The council transitioned to online training in March 2022 due to Covid-19 restrictions. Email reminders were sent in 2022 and 2023, and taxi trade representatives have actively encouraged drivers to participate through WhatsApp messages.
Cllr Haworth expressed gratitude to Bolton's taxi trade representatives for their continued support in promoting the training programme.
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