Taxi firm’s fresh hope in battle over signs
Wednesday 23rd November 2011, 11:00AM GMT.
A taxi driver could win a late reprieve in his battle with a Staffordshire council which has ordered him to shrink the signs on his cars, after members pledged to review their regulations.
Terry Airey was facing a £600 bill to reduce the size of the signs on his taxis by the end of this month. But today licensing bosses at Lichfield District Council said they would look again at his case.
Mr Airey, who has run Terry’s Taxis for 10 years, was told his signs should be no bigger than 60cm x 30cm on front side doors, and 60cm x 15cm on front bonnet and rear boots.
As part of private hire agreements taxis must also have signs for Lichfield District Council, at 46cm x 14cm.
Mr Airey, of Chasetown, was told the regulations were due to health and safety legislation. But he has blasted the council’s stance as crazy.
And today Councillor Ken Humphreys, chairman of the regulatory and licensing committee, said: “Following feedback from local taxi companies, I will be asking the committee whether they want officers to look once again at these regulations.”
Read the full story in the Express & Star.
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What a load of TOSH (I am being polite), have councils really not got anything better to do?
Hiding behind Health and Safety, come on really what difference does the size of his signs make in terms of health and safety, this really is taking the Michael.
Maybe the council should spend more time fixing the holes in the roads, which really are issues for health and safety rather than crippling local businesses with their pathetic “jobs worth” attitude.
Get real, get a life and do something useful to justify your overpaid positions at the cost of hard working, tax paying people, that by the way are the life blood of our economy!
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it makes sense, all private hire cars must be pre booked, so a small sign on the side is all that’s needed for the customer to identify the car, the drivers want big illuminated signs to attract customers in town centres so they can make a few extra quid, flagging as its known is illegal but how most drivers make there money, how do i know…because i have run 3 taxi firms
although the official line is our drivers will not pick up any non booked passengers we all know its rubbish, most private hire cars will pick you up and charge a bit more when you are trying to get home after a night out….but you are not insured and the driver is breaking the law
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What a load of rubbish, Haven’t these councillors got nothing better to do than chase taxi drivers over the size of taxi signs?. I bet they don’t say anything when they are knocking on doors begging for votes at election time!.
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But when they are hackney carriages flagging is fine and the council want signs shrinking on hackneys too ean??
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