Tough new rules announced for taxi firms mean drivers will need to pass a gauntlet of tests to prove they know where they are going and what is required of them.

Auckland is split into what are known as five 'areas of knowledge', and until now, taxi drivers only had to pass a test for one of those areas. But, from October onwards, drivers working with less than one year's experience will need to complete tests for all five.

In Wellington, taxi drivers will need to pass three tests for its three areas of knowledge.

The new rules mean that frustration over drivers taking the wrong route may be over. Buts it is not just a matter of knowing street maps. Harsher penalties for not holding current driver licences or displaying identification cards are also in store.

All taxis will also need to start carrying a sign written in Braille with information about their service.

For taxi firm Wellington Combined Taxi, Braille compliance will cost around $50,000.

"I don't know of any situation where a blind person is hailing a cab. They tend to ring for a cab so they know who they're getting anyway. I've got a real problem with the Braille signage quite frankly," says general manager Barry White.

The Taxi Federation says the new rules will help put a stop to shonky business.

"I think it'll have a significant effect to clean up the industry. I think that a lot of these smaller companies won't be able to survive," says federation spokesperson Time Reddish.

Industry players agree the rules will only work if they are strictly enforced. Ten taxi enforcement officers, four in Wellington and six in Auckland, will be employed to ensure compliance.

Penalties can be applied to taxi drivers personally. For example, a driver caught without his log book could earn 35 demerit points.

Penalties for companies are more severe. Depending on the offence, fines could reach up to $25,000, or possible closure for repeated offences.

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1219149