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.
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| Taxi rank vehicles will have to be silver and display the council’s logo |
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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