Taxi Driver Online

Should every taxi in Worcester be the same colour? Debates continue over introducing branding for city cars

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/17 ... city-cars/

COULD all of Worcester's taxis be the same colour, that is one of the ideas being explored by a group looking at whether introducing a brand for the city's hackney carriages would be beneficial.

Whilst no official decision is remotely close, a city council working group has been weighing up the pros and cons of introducing branding and livery to the entire fleet of Worcester’s taxis and council officers have been in heavy discussion with taxi drivers over its potential.

Ideas include making all of Worcester's taxis a single colour, placing a Worcester City brand on every taxi, introducing the council’s official crest on all vehicles or placing the city council’s name in standard form on every hackney carriage.

A report, to be discussed by the city council’s licensing committee at a meeting on Monday (December 10), said the move to introduce branding was not supported by taxi driver representatives at a recent council taxi forum meeting.

Taxi spokesman cited the “additional and unnecessary” cost to licence holders as the main reason against its introduction and despite licensing officers explaining the “ethos” behind vehicle livery and its possible advantages to taxi drivers and the public, the representatives were “adamant” it should not be introduced.

The possible disadvantages of taxi branding have also been discussed by the group with the potential cost – council estimates say between £250 and £300 per sign per taxi – remaining a huge put off for drivers.

The report also lists paintwork damage from the removal of the branding which could either damage the taxi or hurt its resale value as a reason not to introduce as well as the potential loss of advertising income and the fact it may stop taxi drivers from using their car for private use.

The council feels the benefits of taxi branding are making taxis clearly identifiable which also boosts public safety and security as customers – particularly women and the vulnerable – are more confident that a taxi is properly licensed and meets safety standards which in turn increases trade through increased customer confidence.

The council also feels a local livery creates a strong identity for taxis in the city.

These two photos are so exciting I just *had* to include them

Taxi drivers say passenger safety put at risk by cars coming in from outside the city

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/17 ... -the-city/


Image: Worcester News

TAXI drivers across the city have said trade is suffering and passenger safety is at risk because “every Tom, Dick and Harry” is being allowed to ply their trade in the city.

More than 150 drivers crammed into the Guildhall on Monday (December 10) to show councillors their frustration at dwindling trade in the city fuelled by an influx of taxis from across the county that they believe are not being held to the same high safety standards as those in Worcester.

Raja Hussain, chairman of the Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, told the city council’s licensing and environmental health committee that the city’s taxi trade is suffering because cars from across the county – and licensed by different councils – are driving to Worcester and sitting in the city’s ranks waiting for customers.

He said taxi drivers in the city were having to spend between £15,000 and £18,000 to meet exacting standards required to be granted a taxi licence by Worcester City Council.

Mr Hussain told the meeting he knew of a driver that had left Worcester unable to get a licence only to return to the city to work when he had been granted a licence by Wychavon District Council.

He said: “We are held to very high standards here in the city of Worcester.

"If we are going to hold these standards, we should hold other people accountable. Where is the safety for passengers?

“If we care about passengers so much and we are passionate about safety, then we should bring them up to our standards.”

Mr Hussain said it was “diabolical” that the same safety standards for Worcester were not being held in the rest of the county.

However, Wychavon District Council has stressed its taxis are safe.

A spokesman for Wychavon said: “The policies to allocate taxi licences are determined by the individual council. "This does not mean that taxis in one area or another are unsafe, it is simply a differing policy.”

Mr Hussain said he had seen private hire vehicles picking up passengers illegally on the street “multiple times."

He also said he saw taxis licensed by Wychavon District Council waiting in the Foregate Street taxi rank - although they are legally entitled to do so.

He said: “The trade is suffering. You only have to go and look at the ranks to see that the taxis are hanging around a lot longer than before.”

Mohammad Sajad, also from the Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, told councillors the “ball was in their court” and it was up to the council to take action.

Representatives of the city’s taxi drivers also criticised a plan to introduce livery and branding to hackney carriages in the city.

Mr Hussain said: “Whilst the trade’s income is going down, we are expected to fork out more money.

“One of the colours being banded around is white so you’re going to have to find a vehicle that is around two years old, you’re going to have to find a vehicle with a good service record, most likely with one previous owner, in excellent condition and now you’ve got to find it in white and it’s got to be an auto. I think you’re going to be struggling.

“We need to think about it very carefully before we start to move forward.”

The decision to continue looking at introducing livery to the city’s hackney carriages split the council’s licensing and environmental health committee but it was passed by six votes to four.

The council’s initial estimate of adding branding to taxis would be between £200 and £300.

Councillor Louise Griffiths said: “I like the idea, I think it would look nice but that initial cost does worry me.

“When we are asking drivers to mend their vehicles to such a high standard and then on top of that add livery to their vehicles I think it is just too much.

“It is an expense that is not affordable for most drivers.”

Cllr Roger Knight supported the idea of taxi branding and said it would make passengers feel more comfortable and know they were in safe hands using a Worcester City taxi.

Cllr Knight said adopting livery did not necessarily mean the burden of paying for it would solely be on the taxi driver and continuing the work would allow the council to look at whether it could subsidise some of the cost.

He said: “I do support this but I don’t support the idea of it being an extra cost for the taxi drivers."


Image: Worcester News

_________________
IDFIMH