Taxi Driver Online

Row over adverts on York taxis

A FRESH storm is brewing over whether taxi drivers in York can advertise across their vehicles to compensate for a drop in business. City of York Council licensing chiefs look set to rule that adverts should only be emblazoned on certain parts of the city’s hackney carriage fleet to ensure York’s coat of arms is given enough prominence.

But drivers have reacted angrily to the suggestion and plan to vent their opposition at a meeting of the authority’s licensing and regulatory committee tomorrow, claiming such a move goes against Government legislation.

They also said they believed they would be given free rein to place adverts wherever they liked, as long as they kept the front doors of their cars where the city’s crest is displayed free of other material.

That came after driver Tom Browne took the council to court and won his battle to prevent all taxis being painted black, which opened the door for extra advertising income to be sought. Officers have drawn up a list of options on the issue which will be discussed tomorrow, with the recommended choice being to rule that the sides of hackney carriages should be kept clear of advertising, although it would still be allowed on the front and rear of taxis.

In a report which will go before the committee, the council’s head of licensing and safety Dick Haswell said: “Advertising provides an additional source of income for some taxi vehicle proprietors.

“It is clear that any advertising on the same door panel as the decal [the coat of arms] would more than likely render it unreadable. The decal also affects the quality of the advertising.” He said the preferred option “will allow full prominence to be given to the decal while still permitting advertising on the front and rear of the vehicle”.

But York Taxi Association has unanimously voted for advertising to be allowed anywhere other than the front door where the crest is displayed, and secretary Graham Phillips said they have been told they should be allowed to do this under the Miscellaneous Provisions Act.

“Our advice from the National Taxi Association is that there are no legal grounds for preventing us advertising wherever we want,” he said. “We want to promote the city’s crest, which is why we have said we would not advertise on our front doors, but we have to look at ways of attracting extra income because of the current economic situation.”

The newly-formed Independent Taxi Association, which represents 50 of York’s 173 hackney carriage drivers, has also backed allowing adverts on the sides of vehicles.

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IDFIMH

£800 a year to have your nice Taxi looking like a scruffy billboard?

No thanks.

I've looked at this, and some guys take £100pa for having something on the door, me personally if someone wants advertising sat at stations and town centres, along with a promoting driver they'd best get some serious folding out, look what they pay for TV commercials and billboards, yet a cabby they think they can chuck a night down the pub at and get away with it.

Is that all they get?? I thought a full wrap was something in the region of £2,000, I thought £2,000 was cheap.

Look at it this way Nigel, £2k pa is £40 pw, you wouldn't get 18 hrs a day mobile advertising for £40 pw, it would cost that in fuel alone if they ran a truck with a board on the back of it if not more, personally I wouldn't entertain any advertising on my car for less than £5k pa, and tbh I would be looking for at least £10k pa to seriously consider it, and even then that would be cheap compared to billboards and TV commercials, so all in all even though what you thought it might be the 2k is still an insult isn't it mate.

If it were that much I might consider it!

No, for side adverts its around £800.

For the full wrap (Sounds like KFC ) its around £1000.

I gather the media companies get around £5000 per taxi.

You then have the question of your now destroyed paint job, will they respray or won't they?

This is the question.

Some firms in London did'nt, but also fogot to tell the drivers.

Has York Association joined the NTA and nobody told me?

ffs

CC

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

York Taxi Drivers Continue Battle To Be Allowed To Advertise On Hackney Carriages

Tuesday 7th July 2009

Taxi drivers in York have insisted their battle to be allowed to advertise across their vehicles is not over – despite limits being set on how they can bring in extra commercial cash.

Licensing chiefs have ruled that the city’s hackney carriage fleet will only be able to promote companies on the bonnet and boot to ensure the emphasis of the city’s crest, which the vehicles also display, remains intact.

But groups representing drivers in York say the restrictions will deter potential advertisers and lead to them losing out on the additional income they claim is vital as the trade feels the pinch of the recession.

A meeting of City of York Council’s licensing and regulatory committee recommended that adverts should not be allowed along the side of hackney carriages, due to concerns that the “decal” – York’s coat of arms – on the front doors would lose its prominence.

Now both the York Taxi Association (YTA) and the city’s Independent Taxi Association (ITA) – who had both vowed to leave the doors bearing the crest advert-free – say they will look to see if they can force a change in thinking, claiming legislation supports their desire to be allowed to advertise across vehicles.

“Advertising can be very profitable for us, but companies will not want to pay for something which can only be seen on part of a vehicle,” said ITA secretary Bill Brolly. “It would look like a patchwork quilt and not be worth pursuing – a full advertising wrap across a taxi is the only real way to do it and we still believe we should not be prevented from doing this.

“We are now looking at whether we can take this further.”

Mr Brolly’s views were echoed by YTA secretary Graham Phillips, who said: “We’re really disappointed by this and will consult the National Taxi Association for advice about where we go from here, as we feel we should have the right to fully advertise on vehicles and that is being taken away.”

The advertising rules for hackney carriages will be the same as those employed for minicabs, although cars which already have adverts along their sides will not be affected until their drivers change vehicle.

The licensing committee’s chairman, Coun Ian Gillies, said: “I think this is a sensible approach.

“We are not stopping hackney carriage drivers advertising – we are allowing it on the bonnet and boot of their vehicles, just not all over.

“A full advertising wraparound works on London taxis, but I’m not sure it lends itself to saloon cars of the type we have in York.”

Source; thepress.co.uk

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Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
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Could they not move the crest to the bonnet and put the advertisements along the side doors and the back

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

They are not NTA members.

CC

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

Well go make them members before they go to the unions

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

Yeah and Charlie collecting the money.

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IDFIMH

For reason best known to the new committee they have joined the National Private Hire association.

WTF is that about Is it speculation or fact?

Why on earth would taxi drivers join an association designed to represent PH drivers are they having an identity crisis

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

Its fact I spoke to their secretary last night and he confirmed it,