Warning on taxi divergence

Taxis are becoming less recognisable as the choice of vehicle for use as a cab becomes more diverse, according to a leading taxi safety campaign.

Taxiwise, the national campaign for the safe use of taxis, believes if passengers are not clear on what type of vehicle can be licensed as a taxi and what cannot, they are more likely to fall prey to an unlicensed rogue cab driver.

And it has renewed its call for a nationwide standard for the type of vehicle that can be used as a cab so everyone knows what they are getting into and councils across the country have the same rules.

The comments came after the recent Private Hire and Taxi Exhibition 2007, held at the Ricoh Arena, in Coventry, which showcased the latest vehicles that can be used in the taxi trade. These ranged from Far Eastern rickshaws to huge van conversions.

“The variety of vehicles on offer is quite staggering and the standard is generally high on the surface – but they are doing nothing to help public safety,” said Celeste Clarke, spokesperson for Taxiwise.

“There are different rules in each council area and while some of these vehicles could be licensed as Hackney carriages in one area to pick up people off the street, they might be banned in a neighbouring area or only for use as private hire in another.

“There needs to be a nationwide standard – in both quality and recognisability – that all vehicles have to match up to. Only then can the risk of a member of the public inadvertently getting into an unlicensed cab be minimised.

“A prime example is London. The only vehicle which meets the strict guidelines on quality, safety and accessibility is the traditional London-style cab. Therefore, anyone jumping into a London cab in London can be as sure as possible that it is properly licensed to operate as a Hackney carriage, picking people up off ranks and being hailed on the street.

“If another type of vehicle stops to pick them up without being booked in advance, it is doing so illegally and should not be taken.

“Having such strict guidelines across the country would make it very difficult for rogue drivers to operate.

“While the models on show in Coventry were very impressive, there was only one model that looked like a taxi – the traditional London-style cab. It served to highlight the difficulties passengers face every day in recognising what is a taxi and what is not.”

To learn more about Taxiwise, visit taxiwise.com.