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Cabbies express anger at 'rank insult'
Cabbies are to be told to stay in their taxis at ranks in case they make Preston's streets look scruffy.
Now taxi drivers say they are considering legal action following the bombshell.
The demand is part of a raft of proposals put forward by licensing officials, which has sparked health fears among drivers who are considering taking legal action if they go through.
It would mean hackney carriage drivers could be forced to sit in cramped cabs for eight hours.
Coun David Hammond, who chairs the committee which will decide whether to bring in the plans, said that he was concerned about "the bad first impression" which would be created by crowds of cabbies gathering around the rank.
As part of the Code of Good Conduct, which is part of a new licensing policy currently out to consultation by the council, it says that at ranks "drivers shall, rank in an orderly manner and proceed along the rank in order and promptly, and remain in the vehicle."
Mark Selley, secretary of the Preston Hackney Carriage Association, said it would consider legal action if "unfair and inappropriate rules" were brought in as part of the changes.
He is due to meet Town Hall licensing officials to discuss the plans before the consultation cut-off point at January 19.
Taxi drivers already face bans on wearing sportswear, including Preston North End shirts, baseball caps and flip-flops. Female drivers are advised not to wear short skirts "for personal safety reasons," while men should not drive bare-chested.
Recently council bosses said they were considering banning taxi drivers from beeping their horns outside clients' addresses. Taxi firms said this move would put cabbies at risk.
Mr Selley said: "Airlines do not advocate you sitting in the same position for eight hours, so why should taxi drivers be expected to do so in cramped conditions?
"We are not proposing locking the cab up and going to the pub, we are talking about stretching your legs and getting some fresh air.
"There seems to be a yawning chasm in understanding between those people doing the job and those making the rules."
Driver Peter Tyson said it appeared the council had taken another authority's policy on taxis and was trying to "shoe-horn it into Preston".
He said: "We are not opposed to change which makes things safer for drivers and customers and improves the image of the city, but I do not think that strapping people to the front seat of their cab is what is required to improve standards."
One hackney driver, who asked not to be named, said some drivers had voiced concerns about the possibility of drivers suffering from deep vein thrombosis from being sat in the same position for hours if they were banned from getting out of their vehicles.
Michael Rooney, who runs private hire firm Ribbleton Taxis, said the proposals were "another example of Preston Council not thinking things through".
He said: "It all seems a bit crazy to me, if someone is just having a cigarette or talking to the guy in the cab behind them, I do not see what the problem is.
"Are they going to start telling private hire drivers they cannot sit in our office when they are waiting for customers?"
Other suggestions put forward by the consultation include banning drivers from wearing "scruffy" football shirts, flip-flops and baseball caps and bringing cars more than 10 years old off the road.
A council spokesman said the proposal was still out to consultation and that no part of the plans were "set in stone" and could change following the consultation.
He said that plans to keep cabbies in their cars were down to security fears about leaving vehicles unattended on the rank.
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
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