Taxi respray scheme would force us off the road - cabbies
ENFORCING a new colour scheme for taxis in Cheltenham could force many cabbies off the road, it is feared.
The borough council has said it will look into introducing a compulsory colour scheme for Hackney carriage drivers, as part of a review of its policy on cabbies in the town.
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LINED UP: Taxis wait on the rank outside the Municipal Offices in Cheltenham
The move, mirroring schemes introduced in places such as Brighton and Bristol, would be aimed at creating a clearer distinction between private and Hackney taxis.
But taxi drivers themselves would have to foot the bill for the change, having their vehicles resprayed at a cost of around £2,000.
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Di Mitten, secretary of the town's branch of the Hackney Carriage Association, said the scheme would be prohibitively expensive.
"It'll be far too much for a lot of taxi drivers to afford," she said.
"We have already had a lot of costs put upon us due to 'bright ideas' dreamed up over at the council.
"But the reality is, we are here trying to make a living and it is very difficult at the moment.
"Some drivers do 16-hour days and are only bringing in around £30.
"To put these costs on top of everything we already pay to keep our cars on the road seems unreasonable.
"What do they want? Our blood? Because that is all we will have left to give soon.
"Coming up with these new rules from on high is all very well, but it just doesn't reflect the reality of our day-to-day situation."
Cabbies in the town say they have already paid £200 to have taxi signs on the top of their vehicles while many have also been told to change their vehicles to comply with new exhaust emission regulations.
Hackney carriage driver Dave Hayes, from Charlton Kings, has been a taxi driver in the town for the past 14 years.
He said: "It would force a lot of taxi drivers off the road.
"In any case, we are a town – not a city. I don't see why we need a new colour scheme.
"It's already pretty clear which cars are taxis and which ones aren't."
Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood has lobbied the council to introduce the regulations, saying it would make the town safer for people flagging down a cab at night. The matter will be discussed at the Municipal Offices later this year.
Comments
by dibblebibble
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 8:21AM
“@agent006 How? How would painting the cars one colour make it easier to imperonate a Taxi? You have to have 3 other things on the car to show you're a Taxi. Look at the picture above. You'll see 2 of them there.
1) You need a great big OFFICIAL stop light sign complete with rear plate number.
2) You need am OFFICIAL badge in the window complete with driver number.
3) You need a OFFICIAL plate on the rear with plate number and reg number on it.
You cannot get all 3 of these OFFICIAL items needed to be a Hackney, unless you have the relevant tests, licences, and payments.
There is no way to impersonate a Hackney.
Again I say, it is not hard to know which vehicles are Taxis and which are not.”
by agent006
Wednesday, January 16 2013, 7:25AM
“Surely a standard colour scheme makes it easier to impersonate a taxi.”
by verysceptical
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 10:23PM
“Rather than repaint the cars, why not just vinyl wrap either the bonnet, boot or doors in a particular colour.
That must be far easier.”
by dibblebibble
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 4:08PM
“"Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood has lobbied the council to introduce the regulations, saying it would make the town safer for people flagging down a cab at night."
Mr Horwood, I challenge you to go out, at night, any night, and see if YOU can tell which vehicles on the road are Taxis, to flag down, and which are not.
If YOU fail to distinguish the difference then you do NOT deserve to be in your position as an MP.
(You have 4 clues in the picture shown at the top of this page to help you.)
ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE who cannot see what a Taxi looks like at night, no matter what colour the car, is either literally blind, (no disrespect), or a complete and utter dimwit!
These flag down vehicles have a ruddy big illuminated sign on the top saying "TAXI". It's not hard to see them really is it? It's not rocket science.
How can you not see which are Taxis and which are not?
And as for you comment saying "it would make the town safer for people flagging down a cab at night"...why do you think people flag down a car in the first place when they see it? It's because they see a BIG ILLUMINATED SIGN on the car saying TAXI!!!!!
You actually couldn't make this up if you tried lol.
Mr Horwood, I sometimes wonder if you fail to grasp what it is like to live in the real World. The real World where costs are high and margins are slim.
Please think about what you're saying here. You're making yourself look a little silly in front of the electorate with this.
Taxi drivers, (both Hackney & Private Hire), have an incredible amount of costs to pay out before getting living wages, and costs continually go up EVERY year. A fact that you and those within the Council Committees seem totally oblivious to or you all simply don't give a damn.
This is a hair brained, and very unnecessary scheme by the "let's fix it 'cus it ain't broke" brigade.”
by gallopingbear
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 1:04PM
“But with the vast numbers of taxis, it's much harder to keep track of what is happening. The price cannot go down as the council set the tarrif. Taxi driving is a proper job. A good taxi driver makes a journey pleasant, a bad one spoils your day and possibly endangers lives. I do not wish to see the good taxi drivers who have worked in Cheltenham for many years go out of business because the council are handing out licenses to anybody regardless of whether they can even speak English.”
by Jewbacca
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 12:02PM
“Too many taxis? Limit the numbers? Why should economics apply to the whole country but not the taxi drivers?
We should let anybody drive for hire given a clean record and a safe regularly maintained vehicle. If the price goes down due to supply then tough, get a proper job.”
by gallopingbear
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 10:25AM
“If somebody working a 16hr shift is only earning £30 a day then it proves that there are too many taxis. Too many workers from out of town who don't even know their way around. The tariffs are ridiculously high compared to most other boroughs. How about stop using the town's taxis as a cash cow and stop handing out licenses to anybody in a vehicle.”