Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers' anger at 'petty' sign rule

TaxiTaxi drivers in part of Cambridgeshire could be forced to change all the signs on the roofs of their vehicles. Licensing bosses at East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) want all taxis in the district to have a white, illuminated roof sign with the word ‘taxi’ and the district council emblem on both sides.

If the new regulations are introduced, taxi firms would not be able to have their business name, telephone number or the vehicle number on the sign. It comes just months after the council tried to force all taxi firms in the district to have silver-coloured cars only. A backlash from drivers led to the plans being scrapped.

Alan Cole, owner of Alan’s Taxis, based on Ely’s Lancaster Way Business Park, said: “The council is trying to make taxis invisible in our district. “The current signs enable people to easily distinguish what taxi firm they are using and that is how it should be.

“To make all taxis look the same is dangerous – what happens if allegations are made against a driver – how is the council going to track that driver down? They won’t know where to start. “The council is being petty – it will cost us a fortune to change all the signs, which is money all of us can well do without spending, and I believe the end result will have major pitfalls.”

John Skipper, owner of Ely-based A10 Taxis, said: “I’ve got 30 vehicles. If I have to pay to change the signage, which I’m told costs around £100, that’s going to cost a fortune. “I wouldn’t mind if it was going to improve things but it’s not – it’s just going to make every single cab in the area look the same and that’s not how it should be. “They’re constantly looking to change things and it’s ridiculous.”

Cllr Tony Goodge, chairman of the council licensing committee, said: “Following a consultation with the taxi companies regarding vehicle signage, it was agreed to standardise roof signs on all hackney carriages licensed by the council from January 1, 2012. “This was approved by members at a recent licensing committee.

“The introduction of a standard, council-approved roof sign is just one of a series of measures to ensure that everyone who needs a taxi in East Cambridgeshire knows which are officially licensed by the council, to ensure a safe journey home.”

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IDFIMH

hmmmm......................... makes it a lot easier for rogue drivers to hide as it makes it much harder to identify them other than through the plate/badge which in 99 cases out of a hundred is NOT noted by people who have a problem

it will also be very difficult for people to identify the vehicle they have booked and make it easier for farejackers to pinch fares

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

You make a great case for PH roof signs.

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IDFIMH

PH roof signs are Illegal.

Notice that Cllr Goodge claims to have consulted with the trade...then what's all the fuss over?

Anticipate consultation was with some tame Ar$e wipe claiming mandate to represent while collecting his brownie points from council. Or perhaps meetings were called and no one could be ar$ed to attend....a familiar story, we get what we deserve!

Please tell us why they are illegal because many councils insist that they are used.

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Grandad,

That may be a slight exageration.

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Grandad,

What section of what act?

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IDFIMH

Not the Plymouth one anyway

did I not allegedly read on here that PH should not have roof signs as it may confuse the public that they are taxis, or words to that affect

If the Issue of Signs is in the sole control of the relevant Council then it should be a good way of ensuring that rogue cars are are not able to cruise the streets.

Were I the Issuing Council I would have the (Using) Car's identity and period of the Licence on that Sign, so making it doubly difficult for rogue Cars to pose as a Taxi.

That's just my opinion as we, in Ayr, pay £170.00 annually for our Badge anyway, a little extra would be a small price to pay for keeping out the illegal, unlicensed, Competition.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

Transport Act 1980

Section 64.

Roof-signs on vehicle other than taxis.

(1)There shall not, in any part of England and Wales outside the metropolitan police district and the City of London, be displayed on or above the roof of any vehicle which is used for carrying passengers for hire or reward but which is not a taxi—(a)any sign which consists of or includes the word “taxi” or “cab”, whether in the singular or plural, or “hire”, or any word of similar meaning or appearance to any of those words, whether alone or as part of another word; or (b) any sign, notice, mark, illumination or other feature which may suggest that the vehicle is a taxi.

(2)Any person who knowingly—(a)drives a vehicle in respect of which subsection (1) is contravened; or(b)causes or permits that subsection to be contravened in respect of any vehicle,shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F1level 3 on the standard scale].(3)In this section “taxi” means a vehicle licensed under section 37 of the M1Town Police Clauses Act 1847, section 6 of the M2Metropolitan Carriage Act 1869, [F2section 10 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982] or any similar local enactment.

That just says that any top sign used on a private hire vehicle can't use certain words. It doesn't say that you can't have a sign.

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Grandad,

There's an LA near me that rules for PH's something along the lines "no sign or lettering shall mention taxi, cab, hire on the vehicle and any meter fitted to a PH shall not display the words For Hire when not engaged". Not the exact wording, but something like that. I wonder therefore if the council plate on the back of the vehicle reads "Private XXXX vehicle No 123" or something similar.

Personally I would have no problem with a PH having a roof sign saying something like: "Licensed Private Hire Vehicle - Advance Bookings Only"

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Nobody told me to use my initiative. To err is human to arr is pirate.

not in sandwell....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

what i simply cannot understand is how a council - wishing to avoid punters trying to flag down PRIVATE hire vehicles - goes about it by putting a SIGN (and in English only at that) on the vehicles whilst at the same time having the option of a "special event" vehicle (must have leather and alloys....?) which need NOT have the "advance bookings only" signs carried by the private hire brigade....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most