Taxi and Private Hire Driving Assessment

It is becoming common practice for Councils to insist that licence applicants must undergo a vocational driving assessment before they can grant an individual a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle driver's licence.

As part of our policy of risk and accident reduction, new licence applicants are required to attend a driving assessment.  This is to evidence their suitability and skill set toward safe and competent driving. The driver assessment is designed to assess applicants' driving skills and follows a managed approach to the safe use of vehicles.

This Council has adopted the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) or Blue Lamp Trust assessment as a requirement for all new applicants with this Authority for hackney carriage and private hire vehicle driver licences. The pass certificate from the LRSP or Blue Lamp Trust test must be presented to the Council's Licensing Team before we can grant a hackney carriage or private hire driver's licence.

The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP)

The assessment consists of a practical drive with a driver trainer assessor lasting approximately one hour.  This is followed by a debrief lasting approximately 15 minutes. Applicants are required to demonstrate that as a driver they are above average, safe, and competent using a system of car control. An in-depth knowledge of the highway code is essential.

To pass the assessment, drivers must gain a final assessment result of 'low risk'.

Prior to taking the assessment, applicants are strongly advised to undertake driver training or enhancement with a professional approved driving instructor (at own cost). Re-assessments cannot be offered until evidence of additional professional driver training or enhancement has been submitted.

At the time of the drafting of this webpage each LRSP assessment costs £80.  Assessments are held in Lincoln. Assessments are booked through the following website:

LRSP Assessment

If you require further information or advice, regarding the LRSP assessment, please contact: 

Email: drivertraining@lincolnshire.gov.uk 

Telephone: 01522 212313

The Blue Lamp Trust

This Authority has also appointed the Blue Lamp Trust to undertake the taxi and private hire driver assessments.

All taxi driver assessment bookings with the Blue Lamp Trust are made online using the link here:

Blue Lamp Trust Assessment

At the time of the drafting of this webpage each assessment costs £87 (plus VAT). 

Further information, regarding the assessment, can also be found on the above webpage.

For enquiries applicants should call the Blue Lamp Trust Office on 0333 777 0157, Monday to Friday 09:30 - 15:00. This phoneline is for enquiries only (and not for bookings).

Existing Licensed Drivers with this Authority

The Council will only require any existing hackney carriage or private hire vehicle drivers, licensed with this Authority, to undergo the assessment, where there are serious concerns as to the fitness of a driver to hold a licence due to driving problems.

Wheelchair Assessment

At present there is no specific requirement for drivers to undergo a wheelchair passenger assessment prior to gaining a licence with this Authority. However, at a later date the Council may be looking at requiring all drivers (both new and existing) to successfully undergo a wheelchair-loading assessment before driving a wheelchair accessible taxi or private hire vehicle. However, if you have access to a wheelchair accessible vehicle you may wish to undergo wheelchair loading training now rather than waiting until a later date.

Expiry Date of Pass Certificates

This Council's policy is that LRSP or Blue Lamp Trust pass certificates, for applicants for a new driver licence, will only be accepted for up to one year from the date of issue.

However, pass certificates can be accepted for up to 3 years from the date of issue for all new applicants to this Authority who have worked as a taxi or private hire driver previously in another Licensing Authority's area.