10 taxi drivers certified in customer care

For the first time ever, a group of Maltese taxi drivers have taken part in a training programme abroad. Ten Maltese taxi drivers recently attended a two-week course conducted by the Southern Tourist Board (UK) with the assistance of the Portsmouth City Council and the Portsmouth Federation of Taxi Cabs. The initiative was pursued through the EU's Leonardo da Vinci Mobility Programme.

The taxi drivers were Joseph Bugeja, Emanuel Cauchi, Emanuel Farrugia, George Galea, Generoso Gatt, Christopher Gerada, Paul Gauci, Matthew Portelli, Saviour Sacco and Paul Spagnol.

The Malta Tourism Authority's Human Resource and Support Services Directorate was the catalyst behind this project, as well its co-ordinator, while the White Taxi Licensed Amalgamated acted as a promoter.

The European Union Programmes Unit provided the relevant technical advice, apart from financing part of the project. The rest of the funding came from the Malta Tourism Authority, the Awtorità Dwar it-Trasport (ADT) and the White Taxi Licensed Amalgamated.

The 'Welcome All' and 'Welcome Host' courses, together with structured 'work shadowing' activities, formed the bases of this training programme.

The 'Welcome All' course provided advice and guidance on the provision of service to customers with disabilities and special needs. According to the Maltese taxi drivers, who were interviewed on their return to Malta, this course was the most interesting of all as there is nothing of the sort available here in Malta.

They were especially impressed with the fact that taxi drivers in Portsmouth receive specific training on how to deal with hearing- and visually-impaired people. They are also taught how to communicate with non-English-speaking foreigners.

The 'Welcome Host' course enabled the participants to acquire new customer service and communication skills, as well as improving their knowledge of local facilities and services.

One important factor about taxi drivers in Portsmouth is that they must attend a training programme and exam, which incorporate general knowledge, the English language and an assessment of their conduct, before they are even issued with their licence. They also attend an annual refresher course.

During their training the Maltese taxi drivers were instructed on how to greet visitors in such a way as to help them contribute to Malta's reputation as a tourist destination. The whole exercise was a great success for both the Maltese taxi drivers and their Portsmouth colleagues.

The programme also identified a number of similarities between the taxi service in Malta and that of Portsmouth even though they do have a different kind of client. In Portsmouth, the local population provides the bulk of users of the taxi service, while in Malta the client base is made up primarily of visitors to the island.

On the other hand, the standard of service should be the same and that is why the training programme proved to be compatible with Malta's needs.

The Maltese taxi drivers said that one of the greatest problems the sector faced was that out of all the taxi drivers in the Maltese Islands, there were a number of 'bad apples' who were giving them a bad reputation.

"A small number of our colleagues who behave badly and who have no self-discipline give us all a bad name. It is important that there is a certain amount of compulsory training, discipline and enforcement for taxi drivers in Malta. In Portsmouth, the regulations are obeyed and there are harsh penalties for those who break the rules - even the loss of their licence," was the general comment.

The Maltese participants were very impressed with the efficiency in the issuing of taxi licences and the enforcement of the required taxi service standards in Portsmouth. This highlighted the fact that the authorities were constantly monitoring the condition of each taxi, as well as the appearance and behaviour of taxi drivers. There were also spot-checks, sometimes involving the use of breathalysers, to make sure there were no drink-driving abuses.

Tariffs are kept under control by the compulsory use of taxi meters as issued by the city council. During the programme the drivers had the opportunity of visiting one of the taxi service set-ups during which they were given details of how the requests and control of the taxi service calls are handled. This was possible through a sophisticated computerised control system servicing around 180 taxis.

During the shadowing exercise, besides driving the vehicles themselves, the Maltese taxi drivers also assisted customers.

At the end of the course, the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor Elaine Baker, presented certificates to the ten successful participants during a ceremony held at the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth.

The taxi drivers who took part in the project in Portsmouth will eventually be able to assist in the training of their counterparts in Malta.

Discussions are also being held between the MTA and the Awtorità Dwar it-Trasport to organise a national certified training programme aimed at all Maltese taxi drivers, with the assistance of the Southern Tourist Board (UK).

Mr Falzon is manager, Human Resource and Support Services, at the Malta Tourism Authority