Plymouth cabs could lose green and white branding

Hackney carriages in Plymouth could lose their green and white livery under a council proposal

Hackney carriages in Plymouth could lose their green and white livery as part a plan to cut costs and boost driver numbers.

Plymouth City Council also proposed removing a requirement for private hire applicants to pass a test on knowledge of the city before being granted a licence.

The authority could also reverse a 2018 ban on drivers wearing black jeans after "continuing objections".

A consultation on the proposed changes is to start on 23 October and run for four weeks.

Sally Haydon council cabinet member for community safety, acknowledged more could be done to help cabbies deal with rising prices.

Like other parts of the UK, the city has also faced a shortage of drivers, prompting safety concerns.

Ms Haydon said the requirement for Hackney cabs to feature the city's colours was expensive.

“While the aim of the green and white livery was to make Plymouth cabs distinctive and drivers feel proud of where they are from, we are aware that it is currently very difficult to source the white vehicles needed to create the green and white look," she said.

"They are expensive and the second-hand market is non-existent.

"Plymouth cabs will still be recognisable, as they will have the city council brand on their doors with their licence details."

'Time's moved on'

A proposal to remove the knowledge test for private hire drivers is aimed at encouraging more drivers to enter the trade.

Ms Haydon said the council wanted to be "more pragmatic" about the test, which quizzes prospective drivers on city streets and landmarks.

She said: "Weirdly, an error in the policy wording about the knowledge test applying only to Hackney carriage drivers led to a sharp increase in new applicants interested in becoming licensed private hire drivers," she said.

“Time's moved on.

"Private hire drivers use GPS system or apps on smart phones. Modern dispatch systems send bookings direct to drivers’ data pads, which have the inbuilt GPS navigation.”

The authority is also proposing to drop a ban on black jeans as part of its dress code.

It said other parts of the code - such as the ban on flip flops and T-shirts - had been welcomed.