Taxi Driver Online

A taxi firm is celebrating a council decision which will allow it to fund security measures for its fleet of cars.

Bradford Council's regulatory and appeals committee has amended its regulations to allow the district's taxis to display advertising logos and slogans.

Taxi and private hire firms which do this must use the money they make from the advertising to pay for security cameras.

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Stuart Hastings, of Metro Keighley, said the decision marked the end of a difficult three-year struggle to persuade the council to alter its stance.

The campaign gained impetus following the murder of Keighley taxi driver Mahmood Ahmed, in April 2006.

Mr Hastings said his firm now planned to fit security cameras in all 86 of its vehicles. The CCTV system - which includes microphones to pick up any verbal abuse - has already been trialled by Metro Keighley and proved popular with drivers and customers.

Mr Hastings said: "The technology is very exciting and it's going to be good for safety and good for Keighley.

"We've already sold some advertising and hope to have things fully running by the end of the first half of this year."

He said security cameras, along with other measures, such as panic buttons and protective screens for drivers, could save lives by deterring would-be criminals.

Bradford Council leader Councillor Kris Hopkins said altering the council's rules was the right thing to do'. He said: "What this is about is making sure that our citizens who travel in taxis and private hire cabs across the district are safe.

"You go to London and other big cities and see adverts on taxis there, so this should be the way forward."

Insp Mark Allsop said in West Yorkshire in 2007, police recorded a total of 2,947 offences against taxi drivers, most of which were violent crimes.

He said: "Evidence from other areas has shown CCTV in taxis does help to reduce crime.

"Overall we're looking at improving the working environment for taxi drivers as well as making passengers safer."

Confirming the changed regulations, David Webster, head of Bradford Council's business services, said: "Advertising on taxis is now allowed owing to a change in conditions which were approved by the council just before Christmas.

"The advertising has to adhere to the law and to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines and it also has to be approved by the council."

Can the council legally tell them how to spend the advertising revenue?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

I suppose they can make it a condition of license that advertising money is spent on CCTV. But then what happens if they get 1000s each year for a system that only costs £600.

IMO that should make CCTV mandatory, and help out by allowing a larger fare rise and/or advertising.

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IDFIMH

Would that be deemed reasonable in a court?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Depends on who's on the bench that day.

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IDFIMH

I suppose this admission must have meant the rules were wrong in the first place?



I don't know if this guy is specifically talking about passengers who travel in private hire cars or those who actually drive them but Its a pity its taken him and his council a lifetime to realise the need for driver safety.

Regards

JD

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No.

We shall have to wait and see what the condition says. It might say, "only those owners who have CCTV installed in their vehicles can place advertising on their vehicles." Which would mean those persons who choose not to have cctv installed will not be allowed to have advertising. Only time will tell how lawful that is but I suspect that is something Mr Casey might wish to bring up in one of his future articles?

As for the law as it stands a council can decide what is displayed on or in a vehicle but only within the confines of being reasonable. Whether a court would deem denying one person a financial advantage over another is questionable because a court would ask itself what happens when the initial payment is achieved do the advertisements have to stop or do they continue indefinately?

My opinion would be that the condition is illegal and ill thought out as per usual and I'm surprised these barmy so and so's came up with such a stupid proposal.

If you are going to allow advertising then you can't say you are going to limit it to vehicles that only have cctv.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I suppose this is all hypothetical as the lads aren't going to challenge the decision as they are the ones leading the way.

And if they did, then it wouldn't surprise me if the council cancelled the advertising condition.

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IDFIMH

I can't recall whether a case has actually gone before the courts regarding the reasonableness of a decision prohibiting advertisements on taxis but I wish someone would put us out of our misery?

Do buses have this advertising prohibition problem?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

No, because they don't have to deal with the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker.

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IDFIMH