LOCAL AUTHORITY LET-DOWNS
PLYMOUTH HC DRIVERS FURIOUS AT INSULTING £200 TOKEN TO TURN TAXIS GREEN AND WHITE
Plymouth taxi drivers are furious after being offered £200 by the council towards the cost of turning the liveries of their black cabs green and white.
The cabbies, who have been ordered to change the colour of their hackney carriages by 2027, have said it will only cover about 10% of the cost. Martin Leaves, secretary of the Plymouth Licensed Taxi Asso- ciation (PLTA) said: “They are offering just £200 but many taxi drivers are saying that is an insult. We have had quotes for up to £2,000.” In April, Plymouth City Council approved the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2022, which stipulated the famous black cabs must change colour. The council said the new livery will improve the visibility of cabs and reassure passengers that they are travelling in a licensed vehicle. But cabbies are up in arms and Mr Leaves said no manufacturer makes taxis in those colours, meaning all will have to be wrapped or resprayed. He said that not only is this pricey, but any cabs that are sent back to dealers or sold on will have to be returned to their original colour adding to costs. He said cabbies want the policy to be dropped or, as an alternative, for Plymouth cabs to carry the city coat of arms on the front doors which would require an inexpensive transfer. Mr Leaves said he won’t be changing the colour of his vehicle and, like many other cabbies, is considering leaving the trade. The city is already facing a shortage of
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drivers with only about 300 hackney drivers when the city should have 349. Mr Leaves said he had shelled out £70,000 for an electric vehicle and didn’t relish paying more to change its colour because of the uncertain economic climate. He added: “I saw a showroom of second hand cabs and every one was black.”
He said that if a driver buys a vehicle, secondhand or new and has to do what is termed a “self modification” to green and white it means finance companies would expect the modification to be reversed if the driver were to hand back the vehicle at the end of any agreement. He said: “It’s a risk. It’s a gamble for taxi drivers. It’s like being told to paint your house in a colour you can’t get.” He continued: ”We don’t know what’s around the corner with the economy slowing up. I’m trying to get them to ditch this policy or slow it down. Drivers are struggling at the moment. People have less money in their pocket and interest rates are going up.” Other cabbies were also dumbfounded by the council’s offer. One told the council: “Thank you for the offer of £200 towards the new colour scheme but I would like to decline as I will be
forced to leave the trade with Plymouth City Council. "I will plate my cab with Devon County Council or Cornwall Council and work off my phone in Plymouth.” Another said: “This is a disgusting offer. With the cost of living at the point of breaking people, families struggling, and the general public not going out so much, which has an impact on our taxis. You (the council) seem to have no idea of the worry and stress you are adding to drivers. “You really need to reconsider what you are doing. Now is not the time to be putting stupid things like this in place, which will cost a lot of money. I urge you to rethink this silly idea.”.
And another cabbie said: “This is nothing more than an insult. You (the council) are expecting drivers to spend thousands on this unnecessary vanity project when everyone is already struggling financially. You will have no hackney carriages left in Plymouth if you continue down this path.” A council spokesperson confirmed the authority is offering drivers £200 each to help with the cost of turning black hackney cabs green and white. The spokesperson said the cash is an award, not a loan, and added: “The council provides more than 300 different services and allocates its resources to provide the best outcomes for the citizens of the city. “The taxi service is a key contributor to the community. The new livery will provide enhanced visibility and assurance of using a licensed taxi.”
NOVEMBER 2022 PHTM
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