Taxi Driver Online

‘Silver service’ rules for taxis

SILVER taxis will soon be the only cars allowed on the ranks across the area as new rules come into play. All new Hackney Carriage licences will only be approved if the car is silver and has Welwyn Hatfield Council's logo emblazoned on the back doors.

Private hire cars - those that can only be booked to pick you up - will have to be any colour other than silver and will also have the logo.

The plans have been met with hostility from the taxi community but have now been approved by the borough council. One cabbie branded the plans as " a waste of time".

A council spokeswoman said: "These new terms and conditions for licensed taxis follows an extensive review and consultation by the council to make the trade more identifiable to users, improve public safety and hopefully stamp out illegal trading."

Councillor Mandy Perkins said: "Safety of users of the local taxi trade is paramount. "The changes we've brought in reflect this. "Users feel strongly that the service they are paying for has been vetted to the highest standard and is obviously licensed.

"By implementing the signage and colour requirements, it will make the taxi trade more accountable to both users and the council who continually inspect the licences."

Changes to the colour of vehicles and signage at an extra cost of £30 will occur over a phased period as current taxis are replaced by new licensed vehicles.

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IDFIMH

Personally I think it makes sense to have a taxi fleet all the same colour.

I don't think cars need to be sprayed up overnight, but in time a one colour fleet is good for customer safety.

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IDFIMH

One colour fleets seem fine in principle but can you have any shade of silver or does it have to be a specific shade? I Derby the taxis had to be a specific shade of yellow now how many car producers would have that colour?

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Grandad,

I would guess any manufactor's version of silver should do.

But we have had rucks with councils not liking a particular version of black.

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IDFIMH

And Red.

In fact one council refused to license a vehicle because the shade of red was not to their liking. The applicant appealed to the Magistrates and the council ended up with a red face. lol

Before you ask the case is on here somewhere.

Regards

JD

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I agree with all taxis in there respective area being 1 colour, as long as there is room for maneuver in the shade of colour and the vehicle can be bought from a dealership in that shade without the need of a re-spray and if it is implemented only at the change of vehicle time, and not suddenly imposed like York has done

Not to sure about this one. It will limit choice in regard to buying a second hand motor, as well as selling yours on to another driver if it's not the right colour.

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I don't think I fancy having the council logo emblasoned all over my motor either.

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How will it Gus, you can get a silver car, taxi from anywhere now, and all it has to have is silver on the log book. and as for selling it on why not use it as a trade in

So it can be purple with yellow spots as long as it states silver on the log book.

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Grandad,

So you have spend a fortune on a WAV (not silver) and want a new one. You can't sell it locally as the colour is wrong, dealer won't take it as a trade in for the same reason. Private buyers are very wary of ex taxis. They wouldn't pay as much as a cabby would for it. This is a bad idea. Uniform taxi signs is a much better way to go.

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Surely a single colour would make more sense for PH as they are harder to identify?

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our office stated blue cars only for many a year but the trouble became when cars dealers were loading the prices because they knew you had little or no choice

then you had the problem that less and less where becoming available second hand or new as people over years related blue cars as taxis

i here the argument about vehicle livery not being wanted, but whats the difference your car being reconised as a taxi cause it silver ?? (and a very expensive silver for that matter)

That would work as well Guss but what if someone is looking at the top sign trying to find gus cabs
on a serious note yes it would work as long as the word TAXI is at the front and rear and every sign was the same size, phone numbers only on taxi cards inside the vehicle

We have had uniform signs here for years. The signs are large (full width of the roof) with "City of Aberdeen" along the top at the front. Company logo is allowed underneath this along with the word "Taxi" in small letters. If no company logo, "Taxi" is in large letters. All logos are approved by the hackney before use. Any phone number is on the back of the sign.

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