8:00am Friday 3rd October 2008
By James Wallin
TAXI drivers have blasted a council clampdown on tinted windows.
Under changes to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licence conditions, no new licences will be given to cars with tinted windows.
Taxis and private hire cars currently on the road will need to strip their windows by 2010.
The amendments were made because of concerns over driver visibility, difficulty in identifying occupants in the case of an accident and in seeing if passengers are wearing seatbelts.
The scheme has the backing of Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue and some taxi firms.
But drivers who contacted the Adver said the scheme was unfair.
Aklus Miah said that the council is putting added pressure on taxi drivers.
“When I first purchased my car I wasn’t told anything about not being able to have tinted windows,” he said.
“Then I heard that maybe new vehicles wouldn’t be allowed to have it, and now that even cars on the road will have to make the changes.
“Lots of people are angry about this.”
Margaret Wilkes said the cost of making the changes will be crippling.
She has already had to relinquish one vehicle because of the cost of converting it and worries about the cost for her remaining Mercedes Vito minibus, which will set her back at least £800.
She said: “We are struggling and this is making matters even worse.
“When I bought the car a year ago I wasn’t told anything about plans for tinted windows to be removed. The council should have let us know sooner.
“People like tinted windows. It makes them feel a bit special – like a celebrity.
“I know the council say it’s for safety and for making sure people are wearing their seatbelts, but we as drivers are obliged to make sure passengers are wearing them. They should trust us.”
A council spokesman said: “We’re asking taxi operators to remove window tints for safety reasons.
“The police and ambulance service have asked for this so they can see who is in a vehicle if it is involved in an accident, and it also reassures passengers because, if anything untoward is happening in the cab, people outside can see what’s going on.
“We originally asked all vehicles to comply with this regulation this year, but after listening to the concerns of some drivers we agreed to extend the deadline for existing vehicles until September 2010.
“However, all newly purchased vehicles will have to comply from now.”
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