Council mulls 'U-turn' on turning taxis green

'KNOWLEDGE' TEST AND BAN ON JEANS MAY ALSO BE SCRAPPED

- WILLIAM TELFORD

PLANS to turn Plymouth’s taxis green could be scrapped along with the famous “knowledge” test and a ban on cabbies wearing jeans. Plymouth City Council has launched a consultation on controversial changes it brought in just last year and is considering a U-turn.

They will now ask taxi drivers, cab companies and passengers for their thoughts on major changes to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy. The policy regulates taxi services within Plymouth and was formally implemented in May 2022.

But now the council is considering altering it “to take into account the current economic conditions and the cost of living”. A report is being signed today giving the go-ahead for the consultation to start on Monday, October 23.

Key changes include:

■Review and/or revoke the livery policy which requires new hackney cabs to be green and white by 2027 – although the council will still require hackney cabs to display door signage supplied by the authority.

■To remove the ‘Knowledge of Plymouth’ test as a requirement for private hire drivers, to encourage more applicants to consider entering the trade.