AN EASTERN European taxi driver took a council worker on a "white-knuckle ride" — prompting a change in town-hall rules.

As a result of the bizarre incident, new drivers who come from outside the European Union must now have their driving skills assessed and prove they have a good grasp of English and maths before becoming taxi drivers in Bury.

A senior council source said: "We had received a series of complaints about a particular driver who had a licence from an Eastern European country.

"A licensing officer went out with him in the car and he was doing all sorts of things, driving through red lights and going the wrong way around roundabouts.The driver didn't seem to appreciate that he was doing anything wrong."

After what the source describes as the "white-knuckle ride," the driver had his licence suspended.

Bury Council's licensing committee chairman, Cllr David Jones, said the council changed the rules to improve driving standards.

At a meeting on June 9, the committee voted to ensure new black-cab and private-hire drivers provide evidence to the council that they have had a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving assessment.

If they cannot produce documentary evidence that they have a GCSE in English and maths, or the equivalent qualifications, they must pass council tests in communication and numeracy.

A report to the committee said: "It is possible for the holder of a non-European Union licence who has not passed a test (in the European Union) to (become a taxi driver) without having to re-sit a driving test or to have their driving ability reassessed.

"A number of individuals who have appeared before the committee have claimed they could not understand questions posed to them, or cannot communicate effectively in English to the extent that they have brought people with them to interpret on their behalf.

"Licensed drivers with poor communication skills are at a disadvantage when dealing with customers — particularly those (customers) under the influence of alcohol."

The Hackney Drivers Association chairman Charles Oakes, who represents black-cab drivers in Bury, said: "I can understand why the council wants to keep standards high and why it is important for drivers to be able to drive at a good standard and to have a good grasp of English and maths.

"However, there is a risk that councils up and down the country are making drivers follow too many rules and regulations and we should be aware of that becoming an issue in future."

Cllr Jones said the committee would monitor the implementation of the new rules to see whether it was necessary to look at introducing to them to existing taxi drivers too.