Permanent minicab signage plan is reckless - union

A council proposal for private hire vehicles to permanently fix signs to their front doors has been deemed "expensive and reckless" by a trade union.

Nasar Raoof, the taxi trade representative for the GMB in Yorkshire, said Sheffield City Council's plan would confuse the public, put drivers at risk of abuse and damage cars, making them difficult to sell in future.

He said: "They don't need to be permanent, unless the council is wishing to take on the cost of damage and repair to the vehicle. It is a draconian measure, and it is not proportionate."

Sheffield City Council said the proposal was in line with the Department for Transport's best practice guidance.

A council spokesperson also said the proposal included removing the existing requirement to display operator signage on the rear doors.

The plan would only affect private hire vehicles (PHVs), also called minicabs, which are booked in advance through companies like Uber and Veezu.

Mr Raoof, a former taxi driver, said: "[The plan] would mean being identified as a driver even when you're off duty with your family. There will be huge consequences."

He previously told the BBC that drivers had suffered verbal and physical abuse during riots in August, with one union member having their window smashed while taking a passenger back to work at a hospital.

A petition against the plan has more than 300 signatures, with supporters saying they have had eggs and stones thrown at their vehicles while working.

The petition requests that the plan is dropped, and for any future proposal to be developed in consultation with drivers and only require non-permanent, magnetic signage.

Guidance from the Department for Transport said councils should not go further than requiring drivers to display an authority licence plate and a "pre-booked only" sign on the door.

Mr Raoof said it was "not valid" to justify permanent signage with safeguarding concerns.

"The problems have been addressed, and the customer always has the option of ringing the operator and speaking to someone as well.

"Collective punishment of thousands of [PHV] drivers because of one or two bad apples is extremely unproportionate," he added.

Booking rides through an app means information about the driver and vehicle are shared with the customer who can compare details when they arrive.

Councillor Joe Otten, chair of the waste and street scene policy committee, said: "Our job now is to analyse what people have told us, both taxi drivers and the people who use taxis.

"[We will] bring a report on the findings to the council's waste and street scene committee in early June."

Traditional taxis, which are those hailed on the street or booked at a taxi rank with a yellow sign on the roof, are not included in the proposal.

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