Passenger safety must come first

Passenger safety must come first

On Tuesday 12th March 2013 The Telegraph & Argus reported that Having mandatory door stickers imposed upon minicab drivers which set out the rules under which they can be legally engaged might well feel like an imposition to them, but the arguments they raise against complying with this ruling do not really outweigh the benefits to the public.

There is still confusion in the minds of many people about the differences between private hire cabs and hackney carriages: only the latter can be flagged down and used for journeys without any pre-booking.

The Telegraph & Argus goes on to report Bradford Council instigated a campaign of mandatory notices fixed to private hire cab vehicles which sends a message out to the public that they cannot be hailed in the street and must be booked in advance.

Too many times unwary travellers have flagged down what they believe is a taxi only to be hitching a ride with an unlicensed driver. At one end of the spectrum, this may mean there can be insurance issues if the vehicle is involved in an accident.

At the other, if a driver is masquerading as a licensed driver they might have far darker motives than simply making some tax-free money.

Having a distinct system of liveried hackney carriages and private hire cars with clear mandatory notices on them solves any confusion and increases the safety and well-being of the travelling public.

While the drivers say they are not against the idea of notices fixed to their cars and that the debate is over the actual format of these stickers (apparently there are concerns over damage to vehicle paintwork), it is in everyone’s interests to have the matter satisfactorily concluded for the benefit of public safety.By Telegraph & Argus