City of Wolverhampton Council driver assessment

In the City of Wolverhampton, private hire applicants must complete a one-day training and assessment course, run for the council by Worcestershire County Council's driver training team, ending in a written test. Hackney carriage applicants take a separate knowledge test and a practical drive. This note covers the format and the local rules you should learn. Always check the council's website before you book, because details can change.

Test format (private hire)

Item	Detail
Run by	Worcestershire County Council driver training team
Course	One day, about 6 hours of classroom training
Test	Written multiple-choice test after the training
Questions	28, including 8 key questions: 3 safeguarding, 3 plying for hire, 2 disability awareness
Pass mark	75%
English	Course and test in English only - no translation; a face-to-face English assessment is included
Fee	£50 per attempt for the full course and test; a £20 test-only resit is available as the second attempt only
Attempts	3 sittings; after 3 fails you wait 12 months before starting again
Cancellation	At least 48 hours' notice for a full refund; late arrivals are refused and pay again

Key fact: Three attempts, then a 12-month wait. The cheaper £20 resit can only be your second attempt.

The council does not publish the time allowed for the written test, or whether the key questions must all be answered correctly. Treat every key question as one you must get right.

Course subjects

Assistance dogs, child sexual exploitation, counter terrorism, county lines, customer care and safety, difficult situations, disability awareness, DBS, driver responsibilities, enforcement, GDPR, licence conditions, lost badges, modern slavery, plying for hire, safeguarding, suicide awareness, the Health Act 2006 (smoking) and vehicle conditions.

Hackney carriage

Part 1 is the Hackney Carriage Driver Knowledge Test (£50 per attempt). Part 2 is a Practical Driving Assessment (£80) in your own approved vehicle.

Getting licensed

A category B licence held for at least 12 months.
Enhanced DBS on the Update Service - without it, licences are issued for 6 months only.
A Certificate of Good Character if you have spent 3 months or more abroad since age 18.

Reporting deadlines

Event	Deadline
Change of name, address, phone or email	48 hours
Arrest, charge, caution, notice of intended prosecution, penalty points	48 hours
Lost badge or lost plate	48 hours
Card payment system fault (hackney)	Report and repair within 48 hours
Lost property (private hire)	Report to operator at once; take it to the operator within 48 hours
Safeguarding concern	As soon as possible, within 24 hours at most; 999 if at immediate risk
Vehicle sold	Request transfer within 14 days

Dress, badges and conduct

Clean clothes with no offensive or political words; upper arms and shoulders covered; shoes covering the foot to the ankle.
Wear the badge around your neck on the council lanyard. Your face must be clearly visible and match the badge photo.
Daily walkaround check before driving; keep records for at least 15 months.
Do not ask for or keep passengers' contact details. No eating on a journey (water is allowed); radio only if the passenger asks.
Take the cheapest route unless the passenger asks otherwise. Confirm the destination before setting off.
Under-3s count towards the licensed capacity.

Vehicles, plates and CCTV

All hackney carriages are wheelchair accessible; new hackney applications only for brand new vehicles (under 500 delivery miles).
Private hire vehicles: no older than 11 years 6 months, never plated past 12 (ULEVs, under 75 g CO2/km, have no age limit).
Private hire plate fixed securely on the rear; no roof signs; no "taxi", "cab" or similar words; pre-booking and no-smoking stickers at the bottom of the rear side windows.
No 3D, 4D, ghost or sticker number plates; nothing hung from the mirror; tyres made within the last 10 years.
CCTV: the vehicle licence holder is the Data Controller and must register with the ICO. Footage is normally deleted after 31 days. Dashcams face outward with no audio. Audio only via a panic switch with a visible light. Posting footage on social media is banned.

Fares

Start the hackney meter only once the passenger is seated. Beyond the licensed area, agree a fare first or use the meter. Hire by time only if agreed and cheaper than the meter. Every hackney carriage must accept contactless cards.

Worked example

Pick-up at 14:40, 25 minutes' drive away: leave by 14:40 − 0:25 = 14:15.

Local area study tips

The A4150 Ring Road circles the centre. Radials: Stafford Road (A449) north to M54 junction 2; Penn Road (A449) south-west; Tettenhall Road (A41) west; Willenhall Road (A454) east to M6 junction 10.
Centre: station (Railway Drive), Molineux (Waterloo Road), Grand Theatre and Art Gallery (Lichfield Street), Civic Centre (St Peter's Square), Market (Cleveland Street).
Districts: Tettenhall (WV6), Penn (WV4), Wednesfield (WV11), Bilston (WV14), Bushbury (WV10). Moseley Old Hall and Halfpenny Green Airport are in South Staffordshire.

Safeguarding and equality

The fit-and-proper test: would you let someone you care for travel alone with this driver?
Know cuckooing, county lines and coercive control. Report to the operator and safeguarding contact.
Section 165 duties: carry wheelchair users, give mobility help, no extra charge. A section 171 exemption certificate faces outwards on the windscreen.
Emotional support dogs are not assistance dogs; trainee assistance dogs must be treated as assistance dogs.

Quick check

How many questions in the private hire test? (28)
What is the pass mark? (75%)
How many attempts before a 12-month wait? (3)