Taxi Driver Online

All of town's taxis could have to be black and yellow

https://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/to ... w-9097300/

A consultation is due to take place on whether West Suffolk Council should make it a requirement for taxis in Bury St Edmunds to be black with a yellow boot and bonnet wrap around.

It would mean all Hackney taxis in the town incurring a £300 cost for the boot and bonnet wrap, as well as some taxis needing to have a respray.

Daniel Bird, a taxi driver on a rank in the centre of the town, said: “It’s absolutely ridiculous, it’s another expense that we don’t need."

Ian Thompson, who has been a cabbie in Bury for 30 years, said: “It’s another expense we can’t afford. There’s more and more cars and less work to go round.”

The black and yellow colour scheme was a requirement in the former Forest Heath district.

Another proposal in the consultation is to require all private hire vehicles to be silver or white.

A West Suffolk Council spokesperson said: “As the licensing authority, the council uses policies to promote public safety and confidence in the Hackney carriage and private hire trades by maintaining the highest possible standards and we regularly consult on updates.

“Since 2017 we have also been gradually aligning the policies of the two former authorities that came together to form the new West Suffolk Council. This is the last stage and we are looking for the views of the taxi trade, businesses and the public on proposals for completing that alignment and on updating best practice.”

An online questionnaire will go live on Tuesday and run until Sunday, March 8. Further details are available at http://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk and will be sent directly to the trade.

"We hope as many people as possible will take part,” said the spokesperson.

This seems to be the proposed scheme, which has been used in the old Forest Heath Council area (Newmarket and Mildenhall). Forest Heath has merged with St Edmundsbury Council (Bury St Edmunds) to form West Suffolk Council. So looks like they want to extend the colour scheme into the old council area that included Bury St Edmunds, hence the article.

Wouldn't be my choice of colour (can see why the Bury drivers are miffed) but nice wheels


Image: Newtax Taxis, Newmarket


Image: Newtax Taxis, Newmarket


Image: Newtax Taxis, Newmarket

Having a colour scheme like that in a relatively rural area is madness.

For what it's worth when the Sx massive go to Elveden we always visit Bury St Edmunds.

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IDFIMH

A bit more detail here, although nothing much to see in the grand scheme of things.

But it confirms (as could have been surmised) that it's also about making a single zone out of the two former council areas. And aligning policies in that regard. Looks like they've already imposed a uniform fare structure.


Consultation launched over taxis in west Suffolk

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/west-suffol ... -1-6487451


Private hire taxis in Bury St Edmunds (Image: East Anglian Daily Times/West Suffolk Council)

Taxis in west Suffolk could have a standard livery, a single licensing zone and uniform rules on vehicle ages and criminal convictions for drivers under new proposals.

West Suffolk Council has launched a public consultation with taxi drivers and residents for their views on proposals that would see the same policies applying to the trade across the district.

The move is part of an on-going process to align taxi policies of the former St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils that began in 2017, ahead of the creation of the new West Suffolk Council in April 2019.

A council spokesman said: "Since 2017 we have been gradually aligning the policies of the two former authorities that came together to form the new West Suffolk Council.

"This is the last stage and we are looking for the views of the taxi trade, businesses and the public on proposals for completing that alignment and on updating best practice. We hope as many people as possible will take part."

The council wants to increase the time that must elapse for a conviction for violence from three years to seven, five years for racially aggravated and/or sexual offences, and remove the allowance for any applicants with a conviction for driving offences involving loss of life to be considered before seven years has lapsed. Currently it is three years.

It wants to add a new maximum age requirement of 10 years to all vehicles, except electric/zero emission vehicles, and wants views on whether or not to adopt a livery of silver or white vehicles for private hire.

All black cabs could have a coloured bonnet and boot. Yellow is the council's preferred choice, as per Hackney taxis in the former Forest Heath area, but suggestions for other colours are being invited.


Taxis in Newmarket (Image: East Anglian Daily Times/West Suffolk Council)

Hackney carriages would also be able to operate under a single licensing area for the whole district, allowing drivers to ply for hire and pick up from any rank anywhere.

The two current licensing zones, A and B, reflect the former district and borough council areas.

Alignment of taxi services has been taken in stages to allow customers and the taxi trade to adjust to the changes.

Fares were aligned in June 2018.

The consultation began on Monday January 27 and runs until Sunday March 8. Views can be given on the council website.

Private hire taxis in Bury St Edmunds


Not my caption

But presumably the work of someone who thinks a *saloon* HC is a similar beast to a PHV. Thus a lot of people

Bury St Edmunds taxi drivers slam West Suffolk Council's proposed taxi changes

https://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/ta ... go-ahead-9


Image: Mecha Morton/Bury Free Press

Proposed policy changes for taxis in West Suffolk will ‘put drivers out of business’, according to those in the trade.

West Suffolk Council is currently running a public consultation into whether taxis in the area formerly covered by St Edmundsbury Borough Council should adhere to regulations already in place in Forest Heath.

This would mean that new Hackney taxis in the area would have to be white or silver and then painted black with yellow boot and bonnet wrap arounds. Cars would also have to be no more than three years old.

Daniel Bird, who has been a taxi driver in Bury St Edmunds for 18 years, called the changes ‘ridiculous’.

“It’s putting people out of business. The fact that St Edmundsbury merged with Forest Heath shouldn’t mean that we now have to shell out at least £300 to make our cars look the same as Newmarket taxis,” he said.

He said the extra expense, which the council said would only come when drivers buy a new car, was particularly sore because of other challenges facing taxi drivers.

“Everyone is already struggling because the council has given out far too many taxi licences in the last five years. The number of drivers has gone from 26 to about 90, which means some of us are sitting at the rank all day and taking home just £3.80,” he said.

“We all have bills and families to pay for and this is just another expense we don’t need.

“It’s putting pressure on us to the point that a lot of us are thinking of giving it up completely.”

Cllr Andy Drummond, West Suffolk cabinet member for planning and regulatory, said: “Let me assure this driver and his colleagues that this is genuine consultation including some changes which drivers themselves have suggested.

“We are using a survey and special meetings to ask the taxi trade their views on how best to align the two current licensing areas and I hope this driver will take part.”

Comments on the plans can be made at westsuffolk.gov.uk/consultation until March 9.

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IDFIMH