Taxi Driver Online

Plans to enforce strict dress code for Denbighshire taxi drivers slammed as 'nitpicking'


Prestatyn cab firm owner Diane Thomas-Mealing hits out over proposals which would see items such as baseball caps and mini-skirts banned

Cabbies face a ban on shorts, sports shirts and low cut tops in a dress code clampdown that could see scruffy drivers have their licences revoked.

Denbighshire council has been accused of “nitpicking” after proposing to ban taxi drivers from wearing a list of clothes, including baseball caps and mini-skirts.

Diane Thomas-Mealing, who runs Diane’s Cars in Prestatyn, has hit out at the local authority’s plans to introduce a new and more stringent dress code for cabbies aimed at promoting a good image of the county to visitors.

Councillors will consider the proposal at a committee meeting on Wednesday, and if they support the move Denbighshire Council will then begin formal consultation with licensed drivers.

If the dress code is eventually enforced any cabbies who fail to adhere to it would be hit with “penalty points” – a system put in place by the authority to regulate and raise the standards of drivers and taxi firms.

Diane believes operators should be allowed to police their own staff, saying she would send one of her drivers home if they turned up for work dressed inappropriately.

“This sounds like nitpicking to me”, she said. “The council isn’t in touch with the real world.

“These are the things people wear every day. I agree with the ban on hoodies, especially if they’re worn with the hood up – it’s an awful look.”

She added: “But will my husband not be able to wear his darts shirt now because it’s a sports shirt? It cost him £70 and is comfy. They’re telling people how to dress.

“You can get so many of these penalty points for different things now it’s putting people off driving. If the dress code goes ahead then we’ll have to conform, we’ll have no choice.”

The report put forward for members to consider next week states: “A revised dress code has for some time been discussed due to safety concerns and the impression left with visitors and residents to the county when inappropriate clothing is worn.

“A balance must be found between drivers presenting a good image for the county without impacting on an individual’s freedom to wear clothes that are not prescriptive.”

Though the code will not be a condition of the drivers’ licences, breaches will result in penalty points under the council’s regulatory scheme. The number of points given to drivers can range from three to 20 depending on the severity of the alleged breach.

When a licence holder accumulates 20 or more penalty points in a two-year period the issue is referred to the licensing committee, who can suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a licence.

source: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-w ... de-7802475

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

I don't understand why people make such a fuss over dress codes ffs, it's a guide and tbh why would you want to wear a £70 shirt for work

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I think she's exaggerating a little, even Casey doesn't go to work in £70 shirts even with all the money he's got.

Can you imagine anything worse than female cabbies in mini skirts?

Of course Toots is exempt from that, but some of the horrors I see need a tent at best to cover up.

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IDFIMH

So it is a condition of the licence - if you want to keep it

Is it in the bye-laws?

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Grandad,

Anyone spending a £70 on a darts shirt wants his head tested anyway.

"Strict dress code", what if Madame Whiplash decides to drive a cab and comes dressed in HER attire of fishnets, rubber mini skirt and carrying a whip??

Nobody would be able to get a cab off her due to you having it on permanent hire

At least she'd be VAT exempt hey Skip?