Taxi Driver Online

The Sentinel (Stoke)

April 12, 2007 Thursday

HEADLINE: Colour chart bid for taxi licences

Random rules about car colour are being reviewed by taxi licensing chiefs.

Newcastle Borough Council is being asked to introduce a colour chart to make it clear which shades of dark blue, red and green are acceptable for private hire vehicles.

They want to avoid confusion which, in some cases, has led to cabbies being refused a licence because their cars look too much like Hackney Carriages - which are always black.

Some of those whose vehicles have been turned down have noticed other private hire firms using cars of the exact same make, model and colour.

Up until now, council officers have been using their own subjective judgement in determining whether a colour is too dark - but this method has led to some inconsistent decisions.

On Monday, the council's public protection committee will discuss introducing an official colour chart to wipe out any confusion.

They are keen to avoid licensing private hire vehicles - which have to be pre-booked by customers - which could be mistaken for the Hackney Carriages which are allowed to pick up fares at the roadside.

Dave Currie, North Staffordshire representative of the National Private Hire Association, said the move was long overdue, but insisted that cabbies should be consulted before any final decisions are made. He said: "This is something that has always needed to be done, because the old system was stupid.

"Maybe the officer is having a bad day and he just doesn't like your car. You ask him why and he says he just doesn't like it. "So this is a good move, but without talking to us prior to doing it they are risking it being challenged and it could end up in court again. The colours they might decide on could be difficult to obtain commercially.

"For them to discuss this without consulting the private hire trade is a bit foolish. "What has happened to a lot of borough councils is that the sort of things that could have been resolved over a cup of coffee have finished up in court.

"And a council has never beaten us in a court situation." The review has been sparked by officers themselves raising concerns over recent decisions.

Officers asked councillors to look at a proposed colour scheme which shows acceptable shades of red, blue and green, against which applicants' vehicles would be judged.

The report to the committee states: "At present, the practice of licensing officers is to advise potential applicants of which colours are acceptable. "Recent decisions by officers, who have refused to approve vehicles on the grounds that they were too dark, have been questioned.

"The committee will appreciate the difficulties involved in officers making subjective decisions, which can have a financial implication for the applicant."
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They must be really thick up there if they can't tell the difference between black and red/green/blue.

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IDFIMH

There was a Mondeo around NE Fife a few years ago which I always thought was a very dark green, but in fact it was supposedly black.

The NPHA guy isn't exactly dimplomatic though. The council is "foolish", "stupid", and the officer is "having a bad day and just doesn't like your car".