Taxi Driver Online

Blackpool Gazette

August 28, 2007

Rules to freshen up resort's taxis

BLACKPOOL'S taxi fleet is to be brought more up to date by rules set by councillors this week.

A hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy will require a maximum age for all vehicles of 15 years from next January.

The age limit will then reduce annually by one year until 2013 when the maximum age will be 10 years.

Part of the reason for the proposed change is to improve air quality by cracking down on emissions from older cars.

The document, which will be considered by members of Blackpool Council's public protection subcommittee on Thursday, also aims to introduce a stricter dress code for drivers.

T-shirts bearing offending logos, football shirts and baseball caps will be banned.

Testing

Drivers will be able to wear shorts as long as they are tailored.

A report to the committee says: "The policy document attempts to achieve a balance between driving up the standards of the hackney carriage and private hire fleet to provide the best possible service to the public, whilst enabling proprietors to earn their living.

"Major areas for consideration are a fleet age policy, increases in the testing regime for older vehicles, a more rigid policy with regard to stretched limousines, which conforms to a recent uniform policy to cover all Greater Manchester authorities to which Blackpool is affiliated, and a more comprehensive dress code."

Drivers will also have to display "How am I driving?" signage and a telephone hotline.

Recently drivers held an impromptu strike in protest at the council's enforcement policy which has seen vehicles taken in for testing during busy Friday and Saturday night shifts.
______________________

Quick GBC dig the for sale sign out and let the rest of london's cabby's know where they can sell the cabs they cannot get passed due to red kens rules

Didn't the London trade get a bit uppity when a fifteen year age limit was proposed a couple of years ago? (Or was it thirteen?)

Best service in the world though.

Compared to Blackpool, at least

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

12.

But our real London Taxi fleet is all Euro 3 compliant, is any other Taxi trade in the UK up to that standard at present?

Well the DustyMobile's CO2 thingy is 160 G/KM, that's all I know

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk