Applicants competing for eight new Orihuela taxi licences say the exam focused on obscure local knowledge while ignoring the reality of modern GPS navigation.
Twenty of the 22 candidates seeking licenses to work as taxi drivers in Orihuela have failed a controversial municipal examination, prompting complaints that the test contained outdated and unnecessarily difficult questions.
Only two applicants passed the second professional competency test, scoring 5.38 and 6.08 out of 10. A minimum mark of five was required. All 22 candidates had previously passed an initial psychometric assessment.
Applicants were also frustrated by the marking system, under which every incorrect response resulted in a deduction equal to 25 per cent of the value of a correct answer.
The 60-question examination covered taxi regulations, vehicles, traffic offences, shared service areas and fare zones. However, much of the test demanded detailed knowledge of Orihuela’s streets, public buildings, cultural attractions, health services and outlying districts.
Candidates were asked to identify the locations of streets including Luceros and Cristo de Zalamea, as well as the Municipal Nativity Scene Museum, the local census office, the bar association and several foundations and training centres.
Other questions covered the date of Orihuela’s Medieval Market, the significance of the July 17 public holiday, the municipality’s population and the number of health centres and medical offices operating in coastal and rural areas.
Applicants were also expected to describe routes between prominent locations, including the railway station and the Miguel Hernández House Museum, and from the Glorieta to the cathedral.
The coastal section required knowledge of the locations of Orihuela Costa’s Town Hall, sports centre, post office, emergency centre and Hotel La Zenia. One question reportedly asked candidates to identify a hamlet located exactly 32 kilometres from the town centre.
“It is ridiculous to ask for directions to health centres or shopping centres when every vehicle now has GPS,” one applicant said.
The candidate said several questions would be challenged because some appeared to rely on legislation or information that had recently changed. Other unsuccessful applicants are also expected to lodge appeals.
Candidates have five working days to submit objections. The examination board must then resolve the complaints within a further five working days before publishing the final results and confirming who qualifies for a professional taxi competency certificate.
Orihuela councillor for transport Víctor Sigüenza said the process of awarding eight new taxi licences was continuing and could be completed in July if the timetable remained on track.
The licences are intended to ease a longstanding shortage. Orihuela currently has 42 authorised taxis, the same number it had in 2005, despite its population growing to about 88,000.
Around 30,000 residents live in the coastal area, where the population can rise sharply during the summer because of tourism and holiday accommodation. Unofficial estimates suggest the coastal population may reach 100,000 during the busiest periods.
Spanish regulations generally provide for one taxi licence per 1,000 registered residents. The shortage has reportedly encouraged illegal operators to offer unlicensed journeys to destinations including Torrevieja, Elche, Alicante Airport and Murcia’s Corvera Airport.
The eight-licence tender follows years of delays, legal disputes and negotiations between Orihuela City Council and the local taxi industry.
