More than 17,000 taxi drivers in London are to be trained to respond to terror attacks and medical emergencies such as severe bleeding and acid attacks.

Taxi-hailing app mytaxi has developed a course, called The Knowledge+ programme, in a bid to boost the “health, safety and people skills” of its 17,500 London drivers.

The course, which takes its name from the navigation exam sat by all cab drivers in the capital, includes life-saving techniques such as CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

On top of that, participants will be taught how to deal with emergencies such as acid attacks, choking, strokes and severe bleeding.

Chris Phillips, former head of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, will advise the course participants on counter-terrorism and security training.

A psychologist will provide body language tips to help cab drivers put passengers at ease by reading situations more easily.

'The difference between life and death'

Michelle Kerrigan, the national partnerships manager for St John Ambulance, which is supporting the course, said a fast response in an emergency can be “crucial”.

“Taxi drivers are increasingly first on the scene in an emergency,” she said.

“We know that administering first aid in those crucial first minutes can be the difference between life and death.”

Cab drivers are to be trained to respond to medical emergencies and terror attacks

Mytaxi commissioned a survey of more than 1,300 cab drivers, which revealed they are increasingly standing in for emergency services and facing dangerous situations.

More than two-thirds (71%) have made hospital trips for passengers with serious medical issues such as burst appendices and broken ankles, while 7% have specifically experienced a passenger having a stroke or heart attack.

One driver had a passenger who had been shot in the stomach, while another picked up a young woman whose drink had been spiked with a date-rape drug.

Nearly one in four (24%) London taxi drivers have come to the aid of the public in a terrorist incident, according to the poll.

Cab driver John Hamilton holds a defibrillator as mytaxi launches new course

One witnessed the London Bridge attack in June and took a group of women to safety before returning to help others.

He said: "[I] found three terrified girls who had been in the Wheatsheaf [pub] when the attackers were smashing the windows in ... Got them all home safely and returned to ferry others away from the area."

'Essential new skills'

Chris Phillips, the former head of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, said London faces threats from terrorism which are "changing at an unprecedented pace".

"You can pretty much guarantee that whatever incident happens in London, a black cab will be at the scene or nearby,” he said.

“Professionalising their response is a brilliant way to help keep Londoners safe."

Andy Batty, the UK general manager at mytaxi, said the course will equip taxi drivers with a series of “essential new skills”.

He added: "The initiative will have input from health, crisis and body language experts with the ambition of becoming an industry benchmark for training excellence."

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