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Scruffy cab drivers told to clean up their image
SCRUFFY taxi drivers in Edinburgh have been told to smarten up by council chiefs. City cabbies have been issued with a dress code, which forbids T-shirts, tracksuits and denim, in a move designed to make a good impression on visitors. The message was included in a leaflet sent to all drivers of black cabs and private hire vehicles
Taxi representatives today said the majority of drivers already follow the rules, which have been in place since the turn of the decade, but admitted there are a few who regularly choose to wear jeans.
Raymond Davidson, secretary of the Edinburgh Taxi Association, said: "The council is trying to smarten up the image of the city. They can't demand that we wear uniforms, but they can say that we have to be smart.
If a visitor comes to Edinburgh, the first thing they see is a taxi driver. "The majority of cabbies are in favour of this, but there are some who will wear Metallica T-shirts and ripped jeans." One taxi driver added: "If you walk along a city centre street, you will see drivers in jeans and trainers, which is against the licensing conditions. That gives the wrong impression."
Councillor Colin Keir, convener of the regulatory committee, said the "overwhelming majority" of drivers were professional. He added: "From time to time, we remind them about the need to maintain the best possible standards. People have huge expectations of Edinburgh and we are confident that drivers will continue to work with us to help ensure that we exceed those expectations."
A taxi licence condition, introduced in September 1999, stated that drivers should be "clean and tidy", and ordered them to wear "clothing which shall be of a type or standard reasonably fit for the purpose."
The term "reasonably fit for the purpose" caused confusion though, and proposals for a more detailed dress code were drawn up a year later, including the requirement for men to wear a shirt with a collar and "preferably" a tie.
One of the city's largest black cab firms, Central Radio Cabs, recently introduced a mandatory corporate clothing range for its drivers, which includes branded shirts and fleeces.
Secretary Murray Fleming said some of the company's older drivers also insist on wearing ties. He added: "The standards were always high, but this portrays a professional image. Other large taxi companies are now looking at a similar idea."
Meanwhile, cabbies have been warned that council parking attendants will crackdown on drivers who queue up behind full taxi ranks. The problem is known to cause congestion for other vehicles in some areas of the city centre, such as Waverley Bridge.
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