Taxi Driver Online

Not very exciting, but interesting official reference (for personal reasons) to fake drivers 'hovering around' busy nightspots.

And another council that uses 'taxi' generically, and also still has the drivers' names on the badges.


Wrexham Council issue fake taxi warning

https://news.wrexham.gov.uk/check-the-t ... -is-legal/

As Christmas approaches lots of us are gearing up for Christmas nights out with friends and families so we’re reminding everyone of the need to check that any taxi you get into is properly licensed.

There are some car owners out there who will take advantage of people at the end of their evening and take their money without being a properly licensed and legal taxi driver.

If they’re not licensed they’re not insured which means it could be costly for you further down the line should anything happen.

Here’s some useful tips to keep you safe

• All private hire or hackney cab vehicles will be displaying white and purple coloured license plates which should be on the outside of all vehicles.
• A licensed Hackney Carriage will display a rear plate and an illuminated roof sign displaying the word ‘TAXI’.
• Private hire vehicles will also have yellow adhesive signs in the rear windows.
• All drivers will have an ID badge with their name, photograph, license number and expiry date. If you can’t see it please ask to see it before you set off.

Many unlicensed taxi drivers may be driving in busy streets or hovering about busy night spots for unsuspecting individuals or groups so please always check to make sure you’re not becoming part of a scam.

If you suspect that someone is acting as an unlicensed taxi, you can report this to the Licensing Section on 01978 297441, email licensingservice@wrexham.gov.uk Or alternatively contact the Police on 101. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

So no rear plates on PHVs? Must be unusual outside London?

It must have been 15 years or more now, but think Edinburgh PHVs just got rear plates at about that time, and thought that was very unusual even back then. As I recall it, don't think they even had a rear sticker prior to that, although could be wrong.

I think you’ve misread it Stuart, it does say, “ All private hire or hackney cab vehicles will be displaying white and purple coloured license plates which should be on the outside of all vehicles.” As well as the yellow stickers.

You could well be right, but if you read points 2 and 3 then the implication seems to be that HCs have a rear plate, but PHVs only have a sticker. If they specifically say HCs have a rear plate in point 2, why not also say so as regards PHVs in point 3, as well as the sticker?

To that extent I thought maybe the 'licence plates' referred to in point 1 were front plates or window plates, or even some kind of door sticker. After all, stickers are often used in lieu of plastic plates these days, in some areas at least.

But I could be wrong, although it's all a bit ambiguous

Ambiguous, badly written, contradictory ? Yes, and more! Being the “Gateway to Wales”, Chester borders Wrexham councils border and is only about 5 miles away as the crow flies. P/H definitely have rear license plates. Flintshire P/H do as well, since there are around a dozen or so working for a Chester based P/H operator. One guy is running around in a battered 2004 accord while his CWAC (Cheshire West and Chester) licensed colleagues can’t drive anything older than a 2011.

Ah, thanks. Didn't realise you were talking from personal experience, and to that extent wouldn't have doubted what you said

In fact after endless hours of toil earlier, managed to find a rear view photo of a Wrexham PHV, which does indeed show a plate on the rear (see below). And slightly 'in your face' identical plates on the front.

But, in my defence, here's why I think it's a bit confusing and contradictory. Found a similar Wrexham Council news article from a couple of years ago which manages to add some clarity. For a start, yesterday they said:


That makes it sound like both plates are the same colour, which would of course be unusual. But in 2019 they said:


Which deals with the colour issue (see the purple HC plate below) and also clarifies that HCs have rear plate only, but PHVs have front and rear plates.

But in the context of yesterday's point 2 about HCs, I thought this was referring to the back window, which was why I thought the stickers might be similar to London PHVs.


But the 2019 piece makes it clear that it's the rear *passenger* windows:


It's arguable that the word *also* in yesterday's point 3 suggests that the stickers are in addition to the rear plates mentioned in point 2:


But following that logic, PHVs would also have "an illuminated roof sign displaying the word ‘TAXI’"

Rear PHV plate shown below - photo's a bit too wide to display on here:

http://www.crowncarsrhos.co.uk/wp-conte ... 30x687.jpg