Taxi Driver Online

16 Jan 2008

Councillors do U-turn over silver line taxi proposals

Plans to turn all taxis on the rank silver will not now be implemented, after
a U-turn by councillors.

The WHT reported in September that Welwyn Hatfield Council would only
approve new Hackney Carriage licences if the car was silver and had the
borough crest emblazoned on the back doors.

Private hire cars - those that can only be booked to pick you up - would
have to be any colour other than silver and would also have the crest, as
well.

But the ideas met with hostility from the taxi companies and drivers.

At a meeting last Wednesday, councillors agreed not to introduce the
plans. Committee member Mandy Perkins told the WHT: "After
representations from the trade it has been agreed as far as the colour to
revive the status quo.

"However, in the interests of protecting the travelling public, signage will
be introduced to the rear doors of private hire vehicles.

"It is also intended to have an illuminated light box, with council logo and
driver licence number, on the top of Hackney Carriages.

"I believe that this is very good compromise and will protect the residents
of Welwyn Hatfield.

Source: Times 24

Does this mean that every driver will have to have his own individual light box that he puts on the car at the start of his shift and then take it off again at the end?

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Grandad,

Suppose they could just have one roof sign that they took turns in using on a rota basis

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Why don't you get a proper job???

I think the plate number would make more sense

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

It would make a lot more sense.

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Grandad,

They could fit a destination blind with the info on like buses, I have some old ones for sale

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you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

Clearly the proposal would have been for the plate number to be displayed, but this has gotten lost in the translation somewhere.

Whether this is the fault of the council or the press isn't clear, but it would hardly be the first time that they've failed to differentiate between vehicles and drivers.

After all, it's often reported that the number of taxi drivers is limited, when of course it's vehicles they're talking about

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