EXTERNAL SIGNAGE ON MINI CABS, THE CONSULTATION BEGINS
23 November 2005 - Transport for London

Transport for London''s (TfL) Public Carriage Office (PCO) has issued a formal public consultation to decide whether private hire vehicles in the capital should be permitted to have external signage.

Presently, no external signage is allowed on private hire vehicles, only the
vehicle licence disc displayed on the front and back windows of the vehicle,
which identifies that the vehicle is licensed.

The private hire industry and the taxi trade will be among those who will be
consulted during the next two months.

Roy Ellis, Head of PCO, said:
''External signage is an important issue that needs to be discussed. A
previous consultation proved inconclusive and we urge all those involved in
the consultation process to contribute.

''Whilst many in the private hire trade feel that additional signage would
help to make vehicles more easily identifiable for passengers who have to
book in advance, other people claim that this could make the vehicles more
susceptible to being hailed on the street. Only licensed taxis can be
hailed on the street, private hire vehicles have to be pre booked.

''Ultimately we want the public to be safe when using taxi and private hire
vehicles, so we need be very thorough during this consultation process.''

The consultation will also look at the issue of extending the private hire
vehicle licensing inspections to include a mechanical inspection of the
vehicle.

Consultation documents were sent out on Friday 18 November 2005. The
consultation ends on 31 January 2006.

www.tfl.gov.uk

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