Taxi Driver Online

Found this confusing from the kick off. For a start, the 'proper and civil manner' and 'clean and tidy' thing in the strapline is portrayed as a new proposal, whereas that's just the bog standard standard conditions, and seems to be part of the current conditions.

And it's often not clear from the rest of the text what's the current position, and what's being proposed. For example, look at the two references to jeans, as highlighted - one reads like it's proposed to allow jeans, while the other reads like the proposal wouldn't allow jeans

It's a while since I've thought about this, but I seem to recall that North Ayrshire has quite a strict dress code, and the proposal seems to be to relax it. But the fine detail isn't clear, and it's still to be decided anyway.

And, I mean, the detail of the code is complex and confusing enough without it not even being clear what's the current position, and what's proposed. But can't be bothered looking for all the papers and going through them with a fine tooth comb.


Taxi drivers gear up for new dress code in first overhaul since 2000

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/north- ... since-2000

Proposals suggest that the licence holder must conduct themselves in a proper and civil manner and be clean and tidy.

Taxi drivers in North Ayrshire could be allowed to wear shorts all-year round as a result of a new dress code, discussed by the Licensing Committee at their meeting on Wednesday.

Proposals suggest that the licence holder must conduct themselves in a proper and civil manner and be clean and tidy.

In what is the first overhaul of the dress code since 2000, the North Ayrshire Licensing Board suggest that they should not wear a hat, cap, baseball-style cap, beanie hat or any other head wear while driving.

They recommend trousers should be full length dress style with belt hoops and jeans of any colour along with jogging trousers. Tracksuit trousers would not be considered acceptable.

Polo shirts, it is proposed, must be one colour and have a collar with no printing or lettering except a small manufacturer’s logo – a company name or logo could be allowed on the shirt.

T-shirts with a round neckline, football attire or club colours would not be acceptable.

Dress shorts may be worn at any time of year, provided they have belt hoops and are one colour.

Shorts or jeans are not allowed in the current proposals.

Three-quarter length shorts would not be permitted and highly patterned or advertising printing is not acceptable. There may be a small manufacturer’s logo. Gym or beach shorts would not be permitted.

Any tie should be a clip-on style for the driver’s own personal safety.

Jumpers, either crew or v-neck, would be permitted provided they are not highly patterned and may have a small manufacturer’s logo or taxi firm details. Hoodies would not be permitted and footwear may be either shoes or training shoes. Sandals and flip flops would not be appropriate.

Departure from any of these requirements is allowed only where a particular type of clothing is required by the traditional and customary practices of the Licence holder’s particular religious, ethnic or other cultural group.

Tory councillor Mathew McLean suggested some drivers would wear certain items on religious grounds rather than ethnic or cultural grounds and that should be stated in the new code.

Cllr Nairn McDonald said he would be happy if drivers wore dark jeans and chair Eleanor Collier agreed.

The chair also suggested smart skirts could be acceptable.

The committee agreed to further discuss the policy and before it is put out to consultation with the Taxi Owners’ Association organisations along with independent drivers who are not members.

Found this easily enough with Google, and these are presumably the current conditions:

https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Docum ... itions.pdf

Some slightly, er, unconventional wording in the conditions, but check this bit out in particular:


Let's ignore the use of the word 'driving' above. I mean, a vehicle doesn't really 'drive'

So when, precisely can drivers wear a hat or cap? The conditions seem to apply to both HCs and PHVs.

(Tried to write down when precisely when HC and/or PH drivers were allowed to wear a hat or cap, but gave up. But, for a start, since it refers to plying for hire, it presumably depends to a large extent whether or not the HCD is in area or across the border. And because it refers to plying for hire then to that extent the exemption might depend whether the driver is HC or PH. And that's even ignoring the dimension of whether or not it applies to drivers who are driving but not working, and when and how that's defined )

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if it's private hire the driver can wear a hat or cap anytime except when carrying passengers ('under hire', presumably).

Because they have to be driving AND under hire for the rule to apply. And they can't ply for hire, so that wouldn't be relevant

But an HCD can only wear a cap or hat when out-of-area, because if they're in-area then they're presumably deemed plying for hire (otherwise it would be impossible to enforce such a rule).

On the other hand, if they're stationary while plying for hire then the rule doesn't apply, because then they're not *driving*? So that means they can wear a hat or cap while plying for hire on the rank because they're not *driving* at that point?

Or if they're on their way to a pre-booked job then they can't be plying for hire, and thus can wear a hat or cap?

...so it all seems a bit of a nonsense to me - quite apart from banning hats and caps in the first place, the exemptions seem totally nonsensical and inconsistent.

Anyway, looking at the dress code as a whole, I doubt if many drivers here in NE Fife would pass muster

And, as regards the hat thing, that wouldn't work with me - I never wore anything on my head until last year, and started wearing a beanie or similar on really cold days. This winter I've been wearing it all the time, and it really makes a huge difference as regards keeping warm generally, and is obviously relevant to the idling thing...

So maybe B&H could get together with North Ayrshire and exempt drivers who are plying for hire as long as the temperature is less than -1.5C and they've not had a run for 45 minutes. Or something like that

And the above is all that's needed to be said on the matter.

When you start trying to define what the above says you get yourself in the mess that this council has.

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IDFIMH

So someone wearing a proper tie would be in breach of his license?

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IDFIMH

FFS.

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IDFIMH

Thought the clip-on tie thing was a bog-standard condition, but then again there's not many local authorities regulate the wearing of neckties

But, for anyone who's never come across such a rule, it's a bit like the seatbelt exemption thing - to stop anyone strangling the driver using the necktie

But it's maybe one of those things (like tinted glass restrictions and fire extinguishers/first aid kits) that sound great from the point of view of someone sitting in an office or committee room, but not so significant in practice.

I mean, if someone was trying to strangle you with a necktie and it came away because it was a clip-on, I'm sure that wouldn't stop them in their tracks from doing you harm

But, yes, Sussex - all this maybe demonstrates the danger of trying to micromanage stuff like this, although no one in the trade means reminding of that kind of thing. But, I mean, imagine trying to decide where the boundaries of this sort of thing begin and end: