NEWCASTLE 

Taxi driver numbers exploded after the council scrapped a test to prove candidates had a decent knowledge of roads in Newcastle.

The locality test - dubbed the 'Geordie Knowledge' - was axed in 2015, the same year Uber arrived on Tyneside.

That year, 1,072 licences were granted by Newcastle City Council. A year earlier, just 142 were awarded.

Since then there's been a surge in drivers applying for a private licence, which the authority admits it is powerless to stop.

“We understand Hackney carriage drivers are concerned by the number of licences being granted to private hire operations but this has been seen in cities across the country because by law, local authorities are not able to impose a cap on the number of licences we issue," said a council spokesperson.

But one veteran driver told ChronicleLive his takings had halved since 2015 due to the abundance of drivers on the city's roads.

"I know loads who have left, proper old school drivers as well," claimed one private hire worker.

"It is longer hours now as more drivers equals less work."

"Hackney carriages used to be worth 50k now they are going for 5k - there are just too many taxis."

Hundreds of drivers campaigned for the once-compulsory 'Geordie Knowledge' test to be brought back.

A ChronicleLive poll showed the overwhelming number of readers also backed its return.

The council say the test was "re-assessed" in 2015.

"They brought back a limited one because of complaints, basically where is the airport, Central Station, St James Park etc -  literally six places you had to know where they were, nothing like the one I did where you had to know routes and name every hotel in Jesmond," added the driver.

A Freedom of Information request to the council revealed over 3,000 new private hire applications from 2015-18.

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 GLASGOW

THE casting vote of Glasgow’s licensing committee chairman narrowly prevented a man jailed for culpable homicide from becoming a private hire driver.

Alexander Gallagher, who was locked up after admitting killing Gavin Wright, of Barrowfield, in August 2004, had applied for a temporary six-week licence.

He told the committee how since his release he had worked in the parks department at Glasgow City Council, being promoted to a supervisor role.

After deliberating on the application, licensing chiefs reached a stalemate, with three in favour of granting the licence and three against.

Chairman Alex Wilson, who has the final say on tied votes, broke the deadlock – ruling against Mr Gallagher.

A Police Scotland representative said, on August 9, 2004, Mr Gallagher had assaulted a male, kicking and stabbing him. The man was “so severely injured” he died, the officer added.

Mr Wilson, addressing the applicant, said: “What can I say, I know you’ve been to prison for this offence. It doesn’t make good reading.”

Mr Gallagher, who said he spent six years and eight months in prison, asked the committee to take into account his work history when considering the application. Asked whether he had undertaken any anger management courses, Mr Gallagher said he hadn’t met the criteria while in prison. “It wasn’t my decision,” he added.

Councillor Wilson, seconded by councillor Elspeth Kerr, moved that the application was refused. Councillor Rhiannon Spear, seconded by councillor James Coleman, put forward an amendment, calling for the application to be granted. The motion was carried after Mr Wilson’s casting vote.

Mr Gallagher and his father, Alexander Gallagher senior, who shouted encouragement from a window of the family home during the attack, were arrested following the incident in 2004. The victim suffered multiple skull fractures and 17 stab wounds, a court heard during trial.

In June 2010, the High Court in Glasgow heard how in 2005 the Gallaghers were both convicted of murdering Mr Wright and ordered to serve at least 15 years in jail before being eligible for parole. But, after the trial, examination of CCTV footage cast doubts on two witnesses and the Appeal Court quashed the convictions.

The Crown, which was given authority to raise fresh proceedings, later accepted the father and son’s pleas to a reduced charge of culpable homicide. The court had also heard how the Gallagher and Wright families were involved in a long-running feud which began when racing pigeons were found dead in a loft.

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