Taxi Driver Online

Half of taxi drivers could lose licence unless they paint cabs 'Bristol Blue'

MORE than half of the taxis in Bristol could be forced off the road within weeks unless their owners paint them the right shade of blue. More than 450 cabbies only have until May 1 to get their vehicles resprayed.

In 2008 the city council decided all licensed Hackney carriages should be painted "Bristol Blue" to create a city image along the lines of New York's yellow cabs. They gave drivers three years to carry out the work. But with less than seven weeks to go until the deadline, only 332 of the 799 registered in the city have been painted the right colour.

Drivers have been sent letters by the council telling them that if they do not comply they could be fined or have their licence taken away from them. All the drivers the Evening Post spoke to yesterday said they would meet the deadline because they had no other choice. But the 467 cars in need of a respray at garages and paint shops in the next 45 days represent more than 10 per day, including weekends.

The cost of a respray varies according to the size of the vehicle but averages around £1,500. Some drivers have complained of it taking up to three weeks to get their vehicle back, which is three weeks of lost earnings.

Originally the council had wanted the colour changes made within two years but agreed to extend that to three after protests from drivers. The rules apply to Hackney carriages, which can ply for trade on the street and at ranks, and do not apply to private hire vehicles, which have to be pre-booked.

Shafiq Ahmed, of the National Taxi Association, told the Evening Post the reason many drivers won't have repainted their car yet is they can't afford it. He said: "Since 2008 we have had a policy of deregulation, so there is no cap on the number of taxis on the road. There's a shrinking market due to the recession.

"We've also got a ludicrous situation where vehicles are blue in colour but because they're not the right shade of blue they're having to be resprayed. Customers are not going to walk up to a taxi with a colour chart and say 'Sorry, it's the wrong shade of blue'.

"We're not exactly sure what the council will do on May 1, they haven't made it clear. "I find it ludicrous they could take a vehicle off the road. The council is not living in the real world."

The trade asked the council in December to extend the deadline for the colour to be introduced but Mr Ahmed says they were refused. The move to adopt the uniform livery has never been popular with drivers in the city.

When the council made the decision Hackney drivers held a Saturday night strike. A group of drivers also tried taking the council to court over the decision but abandoned their case in the early stages. For some drivers the respray means a loss of revenue from advertising, as the new rules state adverts can only appear below the window line.

Pete Taylor, 55, of Bishopston, said: "I've had an advert contract for two years but I have had to end it next month. "I will lose the revenue as well as the cost of the respray. "I think they're doing it for aesthetic reasons rather than safety. It's a waste of time."

Since the original decision was made the council has said it will accept five specific shades of blue that are close to "Bristol Blue". Many drivers argued that by accepting more than one shade, the council wasn't even achieving its own objective.

The council says the uniform livery was adopted to "improve public safety and prevent crime". Council spokeswoman Vicky O'Loughlin said: "We would like to thank the Hackney carriage owners who have shown responsibility by adopting the Bristol Blue colour early. "The number of taxi owners who are bringing in their vehicles to show they are the correct colour is increasing day by day.

"We are making efforts to contact owners of vehicles that are not the approved colour to remind them they will be in breach of their licence conditions from May 1 and that enforcement action will be taken. Letters were sent out last month and reminders are being sent this month. There will also be an exercise in April where officers contact the remaining drivers face to face to ensure the message has got through.

"We are confident that the majority of Hackney carriages will be blue by May 1."

_________________
IDFIMH

All the drivers should refuse to change unless every councilor paints there own car in the council colour, whats good for the goose is also good for the gander

The council don't have the power to fine drivers.
Apart from which, the vehicle colour would be the responsibility of it's proprietor surely, not it's driver?

_________________

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

That would be a good idea if all drivers renewed at the same time, but alas they don't. Which is why Bristol can make an example of a few and the rest will decide they need to earn a living and comply.

The answer is/was political, but no-one has taken that route in a proper fashion.

_________________
IDFIMH

If the 467 cabs are not re sprayed, and the council suspends them, they will have the right of appeal to a magistrate so they can carry on working

On what grounds would they be appealing?

_________________
Grandad,

Bristol is derestricted so chances are the driver is the proprietor

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

We are derestricted but many drivers still rent.
You may be right but the point is the letters should have been sent to the proprietors, not the drivers.

_________________

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

That the colour has feck all to do with safety

That should have been done 3 years ago. It may be a bit late now.

_________________
Grandad,

What happened in the York case when the screwballs at the station wanted all black, they took them to court and won I think the judge or magistrate said colour has nothing to do with safety
I think someone put the case on here at the time

This couple aren't best pleased.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/d-q ... ticle.html

_________________
IDFIMH

That's their choice.


Would never have guessed that.


Nobody is being forced out of work. They only have to shell out for a respray.
If they want to be martyrs, that's up to them.


What effect does using it as a taxi have on the resale value? Never mind the silly miles racked up on a double shift?


They have had 3 years to comply or dispute the policy in court. Why wait until now?


If they can't find £1000 less tax between them with three years warning, perhaps they should just pack it in.

_________________

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

Gus, It does not matter what the vehicle colour is, as long as it can be recognised as a taxi, and that should be easy due to the plates and a sign on the roof saying what it is

Thats what the judge said in York when station taxis where being forced to paint them black