Taxi Driver Training
Hamilton Taxi Academy
399 Greenhill Avenue, Suite 202
Foodland Plaza (above Shoppers Drug Mart)
Hamilton, Ontario
Call 905-381-4296 or
Email [email protected]
Taxi drivers need to be trained in order to drive a taxi in Hamilton. The Taxi Academy provides training courses for new and existing drivers.
New Drivers
New taxi drivers must complete the Service and Skills Training Program. Training for new drivers is split into two parts. Part A and Part B.
New Drivers Part A
9 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Thursday with an exam on the last evening.
The topics covered in Part A are:
- Communication
- Customer service
- Customer complaint handling
- Tourism, geography and route planning
- Ethics, decision making and image
- By-laws
- Taxi operations
- Safety, security and robbery prevention
- Duty of care
New Drivers Part B
9 am to 4 pm, Monday to Thursday with an exam on the last day.
The topics covered in Part B are:
- Customer safety
- CPR and first aid
- Human rights
- Customers with disabilities
- Cultural sensitivity
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005)
- Accessible vehicle operator training
- Loading and securing wheelchairs
Additional physical test to ensure you can:
- Properly load and secure a wheelchair
- Demonstrate capable handling of a wheelchair up and down a ramp, curb or step and through doorways
- Demonstrate the ability to use the ‘guide method’ in helping a visually-impaired passenger
- Properly use the restraint system for wheelchairs and scooters
New taxi drivers must provide proof of English language reading proficiency before registering in the course. If you do not have proof, then you can take an English language test at the Academy. The cost of the New Taxi Driver Training Program is $799 + HST. This includes the course book, map book and one exam attempt in Part A and Part B.
You can provide any of the following as proof of English language reading proficiency:
- Attendance at a secondary school in Canada where curriculum is delivered in English and where you passed a minimum of Grade 9 English.
- Acceptance at any college or university in Canada, Britain or the United States.
- A certificate from an accredited institution proving your Canadian language benchmark is at Level 5.
Course dates and costs are set by The Hamilton Taxi Academy.
Existing taxi drivers
Existing taxi drivers must complete one training module per year in order to renew their licence. CPR and first aid training certificates as well as accessibility and accessible vehicle operator training expire at three years.
Existing drivers are not required to submit evidence of English language reading ability or proficiency to register in Part B training, but must pass the written exam, the physical test and demonstrate the ability to apply CPR and first aid.
Course dates and costs are set by The Hamilton Taxi Academy.
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