CABBIES went back to the classroom as the profile of the taxi industry in Weymouth and Portland was given a boost.

Private hire and Hackney Carriage drivers received certificates after undergoing training.

They signed up for a Level 2 BTEC and NVQ course run by Weyline drivers Mandy Fry and John Sapsford, the secretary and chairman of the Weymouth and Portland Private Hire Association.

The certificates, presented to drivers by South Dorset MP Jim Knight at The Heights Hotel, Portland, recognise the drivers’ knowledge and quality of service they provide is of a high standard.

That is particularly important as the borough will be hosting 2012 Olympic sailing events and people from around the world will be descending on the area, said Mandy Fry.

The BTEC element of the training taught by Mandy and John was a two day classroom-based course covering a range of subjects including customer service, equality, transporting people safely and carrying luggage.

The NVQ section was a driver assessment delivered by training company PDM.

Mandy Fry said: “John and I first did the training about 18 months ago after which the owner of Weyline, Stewart Wright, decided that his other drivers should be qualified.

“We thought it would be a good thing to open up the training to other drivers in the area, both private hire and Hackney alike.

“We found a training company in London, TCT, and discovered there was government money available to deliver the course if we became trainers ourselves.

“Since November, 200 drivers have undergone training.”

Mandy said not every driver in Weymouth and Portland had undergone training and having a qualification was not compulsory in the borough – but it does help to raise the profile of the industry.

She added: “There are all sorts of issues that drivers need to be aware of now and it gives the customer confidence to know a driver has been trained.

“We had drivers with 30 years experience coming through the door who thought they couldn’t be taught anything but were surprised about the things they didn’t know.”

Mandy, a former secretary in local government who has been driving over seven years, said previously the impression was that taxi drivers couldn’t do anything else but that view is changing.

She said: “We offer a bespoke service which includes helping people with their shopping and ensuring people get to their front door safely.

“John and I are passionate about the industry. We chose to come into the industry and want to raise the profile.

“We want drivers to be proud of the job they do.”