SPSV test

mark2000ie · 21-07-2009 12:25am

David John Drum wrote: »

The great thing about this new test is that it will deter new entrants and close offices, I may do more driving especially before xmas and pick and choose my customers. With offices closed you will not have to take home the troublemakers the office has to get rid of. Every cloud has a silver lining. It is my firm belief that only exceptional people will pass the local knowledge test and with such talent at their fingertips they will find easier ways of making a living with more sociable working hours.

I dont know about that David, I certainly am not exceptional ( only exceptional people will pass the local knowledge test) and I only failed it by a couple % and rekon I will pass it.

irisheyes12 · 21-07-2009 9:05am

due to sit my 2nd exam thursday but am a bit worried as pass rate only 1 in 100 anybody bother complaining to the regulator dont know how people are getting past it living in dublin all my life and studied hard for first test 95% first part but only 66% 2nd thought done much better no way of checking your answers not very transperent????????????????????:mad::mad::mad:

mark2000ie · 21-07-2009 10:09am

irisheyes12 wrote: »

due to sit my 2nd exam thursday but am a bit worried as pass rate only 1 in 100 anybody bother complaining to the regulator dont know how people are getting past it living in dublin all my life and studied hard for first test 95% first part but only 66% 2nd thought done much better no way of checking your answers not very transperent????????????????????:mad::mad::mad:

Hi Irish eyse,
I have also done it for Dublin and failed second part Do you want to swap the questions we got as they repeat a bit. If you pm me a list of the questions you can remember that you got I will pm you all the questions I have got so far

blahblah06 · 21-07-2009 12:33pm

mark2000ie wrote: »

Dont speak to soon blahblah06 might not be to long down the road before she will be making a killing out of you having to sit this new test !! then again SHE already is making a killing by deregulation isnt she? ! :rolleyes:

I do believe that there is no charge for the book/dvd or our test. As we are already taxi drivers I can assure you we will have no problem passing. Oh and de reg didnt effect me so your post is pointless really

mark2000ie · 21-07-2009 12:59pm

blahblah06 wrote: »

I do believe that there is no charge for the book/dvd or our test. As we are already taxi drivers I can assure you we will have no problem passing. Oh and de reg didnt effect me so your post is pointless really

The book / DVD is for the first part of the test only and everyone is passing that. That is the only test you will have to do and your right there is no problem passing that. There is talk of present taxi drivers having to sit the second part at some stage and that may not be as easy as you think it is especially if you are not one of the older more experienced taxi drivers that you obviously are not if de reg did not effect you

blahblah06 · 21-07-2009 6:02pm

well I think I should be safe enough to know every part of the test when the time does come. being a cab driver 3 years 7 days a week tends to help you out a lot lol.

older more experienced taxi drivers

I will be one of them when my time comes around though.

Heres to you kathleen

mark2000ie · 21-07-2009 6:30pm

blahblah06 wrote: »

well I think I should be safe enough to know every part of the test when the time does come. being a cab driver 3 years 7 days a week tends to help you out a lot lol.

older more experienced taxi drivers

I will be one of them when my time comes around though.

Heres to you kathleen

Well I was a taxi driver for 5 years 2 months and another 15 years experience driving multi drops all over Dublin and I was not "safe enough to know every part of the test"

blahblah06 · 21-07-2009 6:48pm

well that ust shows you shouldnt be a taxi man then. The whole idea of the test is to rule out sat nav people like yourself.

Plus dublin has changed a lot since you say you were a cab driver

mark2000ie · 21-07-2009 6:59pm

blahblah06 wrote: »

well that ust shows you shouldnt be a taxi man then. The whole idea of the test is to rule out sat nav people like yourself.

Plus dublin has changed a lot since you say you were a cab driver

Have never used a Sat nav in my life and have never needed one, and I am well aware of the changes in Dublin as I have lived here all my life and am up to date on any changes relevant to driving a taxi

Taxipete29 · 21-07-2009 7:23pm

Lads have you not all realised whats happening. This is Kathleens way of keeping the number of taxis down without introducing a cap. The numbers passing this test are small enough that they are not going to effect existing drivers too much and she is probably banking on people giving up after a couple of tries if they dont pass.

mark2000ie · 21-07-2009 7:56pm

Taxipete29 wrote: »

Lads have you not all realised whats happening. This is Kathleens way of keeping the number of taxis down without introducing a cap. The numbers passing this test are small enough that they are not going to effect existing drivers too much and she is probably banking on people giving up after a couple of tries if they dont pass.

You could be right Taxipete. I have no problem with a difficult test as long as it is a fair one.

blahblah06 · 21-07-2009 8:08pm

mark2000ie wrote: »

Have never used a Sat nav in my life and have never needed one, and I am well aware of the changes in Dublin as I have lived here all my life and am up to date on any changes relevant to driving a taxi

then why havent you passed your test

mark2000ie · 21-07-2009 9:23pm

blahblah06 wrote: »

then why havent you passed your test

I Will pass it. The test you passed is nothing like this test. No comparasion as I have done both and passed the old one without any study or preparation.

info91 · 22-07-2009 12:48pm

irisheyes12 wrote: »

due to sit my 2nd exam thursday but am a bit worried as pass rate only 1 in 100 anybody bother complaining to the regulator dont know how people are getting past it living in dublin all my life and studied hard for first test 95% first part but only 66% 2nd thought done much better no way of checking your answers not very transperent????????????????????:mad::mad::mad:

Irisheyes.I agree totally. The second part of the test is most confusing and very annoying that they won't say which questions you got wrong. I'm living in Dublin for the last 14 years...know the city very well but found some of the questions strange...like trick questions. Even checking the answers with a map afterwards the right answer was not clear....in others I feel more than one option could be argued as the right answer.

irisheyes12 · 22-07-2009 1:27pm

yet sent an email today about lack of transparency to the regulator and 32 questions instead of 36:mad::mad::mad:

Howyadoing · 22-07-2009 1:52pm

irisheyes12 wrote: »

yet sent an email today about lack of transparency to the regulator and 32 questions instead of 36:mad::mad::mad:

that's because u are only marked on 32 of the questions but are not told
What 4 don't count. This is why I think it could be fixed:mad:

mark2000ie · 22-07-2009 4:53pm

Howyadoing wrote: »

that's because u are only marked on 32 of the questions but are not told
What 4 don't count. This is why I think it could be fixed:mad:

I bet any of the 4 questions not used are EVER questions that the person got wrong !!

blahblah06 · 22-07-2009 8:32pm

mark2000ie wrote: »

I Will pass it. The test you passed is nothing like this test. No comparasion as I have done both and passed the old one without any study or preparation.

after how much money lol

Taxipete29 · 22-07-2009 11:26pm

For the lads who have done the test, why not post some of the questions you feel were tricky??

David John Drum · 23-07-2009 10:49am

I live in Tipperary Town some questions were street names for Clonmel Hospital, Minella Hotel and another adjoining street to another street. which town St.Bridgets Hospital ( Carrick was answer) I did not have a clue. Clonmel 25 miles away , I know the places but not street names.Carrick must be 40 miles away.Route from Nenagh to Thurles ,which town you go through.Places in Nenagh requiring street names and knowledge.Nenagh is 45 miles away .Know the basic town layout but not down to street level and in 16 years only did one run there to the court.I sent email to taxi reg. and stated Tipp. is a large county and questions for places we never visit. It is hard enough to know townslands within 10 mile radius.
As I said I need the exam. to obtain Dispatch Operators Licence to continue to keep open our office. I am not confident about obtaining it and the other drivers consider me the best option.We have 9 vehicles working through the office and failure to obtain the licence would result in the office closing and the operation being fragmented. The customers would have to contact any owner drivers individually a lot of numbers to carry and ring. Is this going to improve the service to the customer ?

mark2000ie · 23-07-2009 11:16am

blahblah06 wrote: »

after how much money lol

Ye it will eat into my redundancy package

a bit ok, hopefully will only cost me 170 euro in the end but maybe 255 euro .Whats the lol for !! Not sure why you find it funny!

blahblah06 · 23-07-2009 12:13pm

in general I just find it hilarious that people are still wasting there money trying to get into the game. Im only joking around with ya lad but it is shocking out there to say the least

Spook_ie · 23-07-2009 12:26pm

David John Drum wrote: »

I live in Tipperary Town some questions were street names for Clonmel Hospital, Minella Hotel and another adjoining street to another street. which town St.Bridgets Hospital ( Carrick was answer) I did not have a clue. Clonmel 25 miles away , I know the places but not street names.Carrick must be 40 miles away.Route from Nenagh to Thurles ,which town you go through.Places in Nenagh requiring street names and knowledge.Nenagh is 45 miles away .Know the basic town layout but not down to street level and in 16 years only did one run there to the court.I sent email to taxi reg. and stated Tipp. is a large county and questions for places we never visit. It is hard enough to know townslands within 10 mile radius.
As I said I need the exam. to obtain Dispatch Operators Licence to continue to keep open our office. I am not confident about obtaining it and the other drivers consider me the best option.We have 9 vehicles working through the office and failure to obtain the licence would result in the office closing and the operation being fragmented. The customers would have to contact any owner drivers individually a lot of numbers to carry and ring. Is this going to improve the service to the customer ?

Why not just employ the drivers you have, give them a minimum wage base job, prsi/tax paid etc. and after they've been in for a month or two they will be able to quit, get PRSI Welfare and you employ another driver on the base.

I reckon given the state of the industry now any drivers who can get back on the PRSI related welfare will probably jump at it

mark2000ie · 23-07-2009 1:09pm

Spook_ie wrote: »

Why not just employ the drivers you have, give them a minimum wage base job, prsi/tax paid etc. and after they've been in for a month or two they will be able to quit, get PRSI Welfare and you employ another driver on the base.

I reckon given the state of the industry now any drivers who can get back on the PRSI related welfare will probably jump at it

Maybe I will do what Spook says and get my 400 + benefit a week, medical card, mortgage interest paid . back to school allowance etc and sit on my ass watching telly all day, living off everyone elses taxes.
Naw I rekon I will try and earn a living and do what I have always done. Dont think I could look myself or my kids in the face doing the social welfare thing either

David John Drum · 23-07-2009 1:41pm

You miss the point, you are not allowed an office without a Dispatch Licence. If one driver has the phone he will not even be allowed to pass on a booking to another driver without the dispatch licence. One of my dad's favourite sayings was "This is Ireland ,we have plenty of law but no order". The illegals will have a field day this xmas, even better than usual.

smithy1981 · 23-07-2009 4:09pm

David John Drum wrote: »

I live in Tipperary Town some questions were street names for Clonmel Hospital, Minella Hotel and another adjoining street to another street. which town St.Bridgets Hospital ( Carrick was answer) I did not have a clue. Clonmel 25 miles away , I know the places but not street names.Carrick must be 40 miles away.Route from Nenagh to Thurles ,which town you go through.Places in Nenagh requiring street names and knowledge.Nenagh is 45 miles away .Know the basic town layout but not down to street level and in 16 years only did one run there to the court.I sent email to taxi reg. and stated Tipp. is a large county and questions for places we never visit. It is hard enough to know townslands within 10 mile radius.
As I said I need the exam. to obtain Dispatch Operators Licence to continue to keep open our office. I am not confident about obtaining it and the other drivers consider me the best option.We have 9 vehicles working through the office and failure to obtain the licence would result in the office closing and the operation being fragmented. The customers would have to contact any owner drivers individually a lot of numbers to carry and ring. Is this going to improve the service to the customer ?

Im trying to get my licence too in clonmel and its a pain in the balls, tipperary is too big. I started writing this up earlier, hopefully i can get similar ones done for the other towns. Its not nearly finished yet and wont have everything u need but it might help you with clonmel at least. I'll try finish it later today, adding one way streets etc.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AfFyoLgKQRwkZDYzc2p6dl82Z21qdGs2aG4&hl=en

David John Drum · 23-07-2009 6:50pm

Thanks very much I printed your list. Other questions..Excel cinema Tipp. town...Mitchel St.. Which town Sean Treacy Park...Tipperary.Council offices Nenagh..Banba Sq.( hard to find on map ).Nearest town to Glen of Aherlow..Tipperary .Trouble is they will change questions everytime.If I can think of anymore I will let you know.
P.S. I read your list and I thought Minella Hotel is Colville Rd. not Old Spa.

Taxipete29 · 23-07-2009 6:56pm

David John Drum wrote: »

I live in Tipperary Town some questions were street names for Clonmel Hospital, Minella Hotel and another adjoining street to another street. which town St.Bridgets Hospital ( Carrick was answer) I did not have a clue. Clonmel 25 miles away , I know the places but not street names.Carrick must be 40 miles away.Route from Nenagh to Thurles ,which town you go through.Places in Nenagh requiring street names and knowledge.Nenagh is 45 miles away .Know the basic town layout but not down to street level and in 16 years only did one run there to the court.I sent email to taxi reg. and stated Tipp. is a large county and questions for places we never visit. It is hard enough to know townslands within 10 mile radius.
As I said I need the exam. to obtain Dispatch Operators Licence to continue to keep open our office. I am not confident about obtaining it and the other drivers consider me the best option.We have 9 vehicles working through the office and failure to obtain the licence would result in the office closing and the operation being fragmented. The customers would have to contact any owner drivers individually a lot of numbers to carry and ring. Is this going to improve the service to the customer ?

To be fair to you, I often reckoned that the regulator forgets there is an industry outside dublin. Many regulations and fare increases brought it might make sense in Dublin, but not elsewhere.

smithy1981 · 23-07-2009 8:33pm

David John Drum wrote: »

P.S. I read your list and I thought Minella Hotel is Colville Rd. not Old Spa.

Yeah your right. Its the colville road. The loreto school in my list is also on the same road if you want to add it in. I'll check it for errors and double check the list when i finish it. It'll all be 100% correct then. Hopefully i'll have time tomorrow to do it.

If we could get 1 person from each town to make a similar list then we'd have a good start on what we need for the test. Would you fancy doing one for Tipp town?

Terrontress · 23-07-2009 9:29pm

mark2000ie wrote: »

Maybe I will do what Spook says and get my 400 + benefit a week, medical card, mortgage interest paid . back to school allowance etc and sit on my ass watching telly all day, living off everyone elses taxes.
Naw I rekon I will try and earn a living and do what I have always done. Dont think I could look myself or my kids in the face doing the social welfare thing either

Good for you. It is great to see someone take responsibility for themselves and acknowledge that the world doesn't owe them a living.

SPSV test

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