YOU CAN CONTACT US AT OUR WEBSITE. DOZENS OF SACRAMENTO TAXI DRIVERS TO SLAM THE BRAKES ON BRAND-NEW TEST DESIGNED TO SEE HOW WELL THEY SPEAK ENGLISH. MANY BELIEVE THE TEST IS TOO HARD. LIVE IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO WITH MORE ON THEIR CONCERNS. NEARLY ALL THE CABBIES YOU SEE BEHIND ME ON L STREET IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO AND ALONG THE AIRPORT ARE FOREIGN-BORN. ENGLISH IS NOT THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE SO WHEN IT COMES TIME TO TAKE A PROFICIENCY TEST MANY OF THEM HAVE A BIG FEAR OF FAILURE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. HE TOOK THE TEST TODAY AND SAYS HE PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS. IF YOU KNOW THE CODES WHICH YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD PASS. MANY ARE FEARFUL THAT ASSESSES LANGUAGE SKILLS ALONG WITH KNOWLEDGE OF CITY CODES. THEY'RE GOING TO FIRE US. I HAVE SIX FAMILY MEMBERS. MOHAMMED HAS BEEN DRIVING A CAB FOR 10 YEARS BUT SAID HE IS — INTIMIDATED BY COMPUTERS. THERE IS A PALPABLE SENSE OF PANIC AMONG DRIVERS WHO HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THE TEST. I AM GOING TO FAIL.
EVEN WITH MY ENGLISH. THEY WANT TAXICAB DRIVERS TO SHOW PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH AND MATH SKILLS FOR COUNTING MONEY. OFFICIALS INSIST THE TEST IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT. IT IS NOT GOING AWAY. THE REVENUE MANAGER FIELDED QUESTIONS FROM DOZENS OF DRIVERS AND TOLD THEM THE CITY WILL MODIFY THE TEST IF TOO MANY PEOPLE FLUNK IT. SO FAR THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE. 28 DRIVERS HAVE TAKEN IT AND THERE IS TWO WHO HAVE FAILED. THE ONLINE COMPUTER PORTION AND THE WRITTEN PORTION. THOSE DRIVERS WILL HAVE THREE CHANCES TO PASS THE TEST OR THEY WILL USE THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE.
THE STEMMED FROM COMPLAINTS FROM PASSENGERS WHO COMPLAINED THEY COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE CAB DRIVER. YOU'RE LOOKING AT LIVE PICTURES NOW. IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE CITY SAYS NO ONE HAS TAKEN THE TEST MORE THAN ONCE. THEY WANT FEEDBACK AND THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THE DRIVERS PASS THIS TEST. A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY BE WONDERING ABOUT THE TEST. HOW HARD ARE THE QUESTIONS? WE LOOKED AT 17. THERE IS AN ENGLISH TEST THAT INCLUDES THIS QUESTION. ANOTHER WORD FOR TAXI IS — B IS THE RIGHT ANSWER. THE FARE IS $23 AND YOU'RE GIVEN A $20 BILL AND A FIVE. HOW MUCH CHANGE SHOULD YOU GIVE BACK? C IS THE RIGHT ANSWER, SO THE QUESTION SEEMED TO BE BASIC. ONCE MORE PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO TAKE THE TEST AND SOME OF THESE FEARS WILL EASE WHEN THEIR CONCERNS WILL SLIP AWAY..