Taxi Driver Online

Private hire vehicles operating within the Wycombe district will have a new look this year, with the introduction of A3-sized yellow door stickers and larger licence plates to help advertise their services and to demonstrate that they are fully licensed.

The yellow door stickers will display the vehicle's licence number, the operator's name and phone number, the words "pre-booked only" and will display the Wycombe District Council logo. They will be placed on the front driver and passenger doors of all private hire vehicles when licences are renewed, or when a vehicle is licensed for the first time from 1 January 2009. The only exemption will be for vehicles which are used exclusively for "executive" type work, but there is a list of strict criteria which must be met. The new blue licence plates will be larger and the details about the vehicle displayed in a way that makes them easier to read.

Cllr Roger Colomb, Chairman of Wycombe District Council's regulatory and appeals committee which is reponsible for licensing private hire vehicles, commented: "The purpose of the stickers and the new, larger licence plates is to make our private hire vehicles easier to identify and to reassure passengers that they are travelling in a legitimate and fully licensed private hire vehicle. They will also help the public to differentiate between hackney carriages (taxis) which can ply for hire and private hire vehicles which must be pre-booked through a licensed operator."

Wycombe District Council has a duty to licence taxi drivers and vehicles and private hire vehicles, drivers and operators. The purpose of licensing is to ensure that taxis and private hire vehicles in the district are safe, comfortable, properly insured and available for hire when and where required. Hackney carriages ("taxis") can be available for hire at a taxi rank and ply for hire in the street, while private hire vehicles (or "minicabs") must be pre-booked by phone or in person at the operating centre.

Isn't that slightly confusing? The plate is blue and the sticker is yellow. Our private hire have blue plates the same as above but the door stickers are also blue. Our hackney plates are yellow.

_________________
Grandad,

Taxis are not private hire cars


Sir -

I write with reference to your back page article head lined "Cabbies lose fight over door signs" and the opening sentence saying, "Taxi drivers will have to display door stickers" (WHT, January 21).

This is completely wrong in its content and accuracy. In fact the majority of taxi owners welcome the proposed signage on private hire cars for the benefit and safety of the travelling public.

Your article, headed the way it is, only serves to confuse the public even more! If I may be allowed then to explain and confirm our members' stance on the matter, I hope a more balanced view of matters might be expressed and the public made aware of the impact it has on them.

A taxi is licensed and insured for public hire, either by being hailed in the street or from a taxi rank, it may also carry out advanced bookings made by telephone.

A private hire vehicle is only licenced and insured to carry out bookings made in advance with the company he works for.

For this reason the vehicle must be clearly identified, the safety of the public is involved. After all, would any one want their family to travel in an uninsured car?

A simple rule to follow is this, if it does not say TAXI on the roof, it is not a taxi inside.

Soon, hopefully, taxis will be fitted with larger roof signs and the plate number will be displayed on the roof sign and in the car as well. The sooner private hire cars are identified with clear markings, the safer and more confident the public will feel.

There are other matters outstanding between the trade and the council and we hope these issues are resolved to the benefit of the trade as soon as possible.

Andrew Johnson, chairman of Hatfield Owner Drivers' Association.

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

why cant PRIVATE hire vehicles be just that

PRIVATE?


put a council sign on a vehicle and bingo, its a TAXI


no drunk i ever knew tried to get in any 100% unmarked car, or walked to the back to check a plate

the fact is LA's havent an answer to the problem

_________________
Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most