Minicabs forced to carry signs

10:59am Monday 21st August 2006

MINICABS will be forced to carry signs on their sides in a bid to deter illegal operators.

Swindon Council has written to all minicab, or private hire vehicle, operators telling them they must now carry signs on their sides showing they are licensed to operate in the borough.

The move follows a push by Coun David Glaholm, calling for minicabs to be more obviously labelled.

In the letter to operators on August 15, passenger transport officer Rod Collett says the new rules follow a decision by the taxi and private hire licensing sub-committee.

He said council officers would be working on what the signs should say and will present them to the council by the end of next month."In the interim, however, the sub-committee decided that it will now be mandatory for all vehicles to carry door signs clearly stating the name of the private hire operator from whom the vehicle obtains bookings," Mr Collett says.

"I am sure the vast majority of your vehicles already carry these signs but I would be grateful if you ensure that all vehicles under your control are now equipped with the necessary signage."

Private hire vehicles or minicabs are available only by booking in advance.

They are separate from hackney carriages, better known as black cabs, which can be flagged down as well as booked in advance.

Coun Glaholm (Lab, Penhill) said the new rules were a commonsense attempt to make it more obvious to revellers which vehicles were safe to hire.

Coun Glaholm said he had been concerned to see minicabs marked only with a small tag on their licence plates operating in Swindon.

He said the more obvious signage would make it easier for late-night revellers to tell which cars were licensed and safe to travel in.

"It means public safety will be better than it has been in the past," Coun Glaholm said.

"There might be some howls from some drivers but my advice would be if you cannot see the display on the side of the car, don't get in it."

Coun Glaholm said he would be pushing the taxi committee to make it law that the signs carry information that the minicabs can only be booked in advance.

He said he wanted the sign to include a warning that getting in without pre-booking would invalidate any insurance.

"The next thing we need to do is to make the signs bigger," Coun Glaholm said.

He said it was "bizarre" that the previous rules had not included the need for the obvious signs.

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