Taxi Driver Online

April 2, 2008 Wednesday

Colchester: taxi changes help safety

Gazette

PEOPLE looking for a safe taxi to take them home will soon be able to easily identify them.

By April 15, taxis licensed by Colchester Council will have a roof light, door signs and a white plate on the back of the vehicle, while all private hire cars must be pre-booked and will have a yellow plate on the rear, door signs or other identifying features.

The changes, introduced last year by the council's licensing committee, also require the driver to have been vetted for criminal and motoring convictions and the vehicle inspected, taxed and insured.

Eventually, Colchester taxis will also be required to become "black cabs" - and some have already taken this step.

Those who fail to meet the new standards, advertised in a radio campaign in recent weeks, will have their licence suspended.

Simon Harvey, council licensing manager, said: "The introduction of a new standardised roof light, door signs and a front licence plate is a significant first step towards achieving a uniform hackney carriage taxi fleet in Colchester, which all of the travelling public can easily recognise as a licensed Colchester taxi and therefore one that is safe to ride in.

"The licensing committee has made it absolutely clear that the council is determined to ensure the highest standards of safety for all passengers using the borough's taxis, and that anyone hailing a Colchester taxi can be 100 per cent confident that they are getting into a properly licensed vehicle, driven by a person who has been fully vetted and authorised by the council."
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Another council that has not read the best practice guidance



are they running without roof lights at the moment