Sandwell private taxis allowed to ditch silver colour
Private hire taxis in Sandwell will no longer have to be painted silver following a campaign by drivers.
It is part of a shake-up of licensing regulations which will also enforce new rules for hackney carriage licences in the borough.
Cab drivers had complained that they were no longer able to afford new cars because dealers had slapped a premium on silver vehicles knowing the council only licensed cars in that colour.
The one-colour measure was introduced to have a uniform service and ensure they were easily identified.
Council bosses have now reviewed the rules and decided to allow certain private hire vehicles to be any colour.
Councillor Maria Crompton, cabinet member for highways and environment, said: "Saloons, hatchbacks, and limousines will be allowed to be any colour. Minibuses and multi purpose vehicles will be allowed to be any colour apart from black in order to avoid possible confusion with hackney carriages."
All hackney carriages licensed by the council must be either the traditional London-style taxicab or vans converted into 'Eurocabs'.
The London-style cabs can continue to be any colour as the council recognises that customers know these are taxis that they can 'flag down' in the street.
Existing vans converting into cabs can also be any colour as long as the licence is renewed.
However a change to the rules will mean drivers lodging new applications for licences for these types of cabs will need to have a black vehicle.
The plans, which also include the replacement of door stickers and magnets with window stickers, will be rubber-stamped at a meeting of the council's cabinet on July 15.
Ken Usher, regional organiser for the RMT union, said talks had taken place between officials and the council and the union was supportive of the plans.
There had been concerns about whether existing hackney carriage drivers would be forced to get replacement vehicles but this had been resolved by only applying the rule change to new applications.
"There were concerns but these have been addressed," added Mr Usher.
Last year a rule forcing taxi drivers in Dudley to use only white-coloured private hire cabs was lifted.
The council had brought in the scheme to improve safety for residents in 2006 – but the move proved unpopular with drivers, who claimed the rising cost of white-coloured cars was putting them out of business.
Following a lengthy campaign by the Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, members of the council's taxi committee voted to change the rule.
