ROSSENDALE has become one of the first councils in the country to put would-be taximen to the test -- by ordering them to pass a new government driving examination before they can carry passengers.

The taxi tests are being carried out by the Driving Standards Agency in Bury, giving potential Hackney cab and private hire drivers the chance to qualify for a certificate of competence.

At the moment most towns issue taxi licences on production of a clean driving licence.

Now Rossendale is among the first four authorities in the country to have told would-be drivers -- "No certificate -- No licence!"

And it is the applicants, not the council taxpayer, who will have to meet the £38 plus VAT cost of assessing whether they are competent to drive safely and professionally.

The new tests will apply to new drivers only, exempting the present 300 licensed taximen.

A spokesman for the council's licensing office said the move followed concern expressed by the council over the standard of driving.

"No licence will be issued without a certificate in future," he said.

"It is all about improving standards and in the interests of fee-paying passengers," he added.

Robin Cummins, chief driving examiner for the DSA, an agency for the Department of the Environment, said: "The Government is anxious to improve road safety and we are delighted that the borough of Rossendale has decided to introduce the new assessment."

But the move has not been universally welcomed by taxi firms.

While Haslingden Ross Taxis spokesman Ian Riley accepted it could result in higher standards, Kristiana Mason of Connections, Bacup Road, Haslingden, saw it as a way of adding to the financial burden of drivers.

A new driver already has to find £122 for his licence, at least £55 for a medical and now this on top -- well over £200 just to get going.

She added: "It is not as if any of the money seems to be going back into providing better taxi facilities -- it is just grab, grab, grab."

Mr Cummins said: "Driving a taxi carries a great deal of responsibility and taxi drivers are the only hire and reward drivers who currently don't have to pass a statutory vocational driving test. "

The DSA say they are hoping other local authorities will follow Rossendale's lead.

The test , carried out by specially-trained examiners, includes manoeuvres designed specifically with the operational taxi driver in mind.

Set to a higher standard than the practical test for learner drivers, the assessment aims to ensure the competence of drivers to take passengers in safety and comfort.

A spokesman for Burnley council licensing office, which is tightening up on all taxi issues throughout the town, said they had no objection to investigating the introduction of a similar scheme in Burnley.