Some hackney taxi drivers in Wokingham are campaigning against a proposal made by the council to change the roof signs on their vehicles.
Wokingham Borough Council proposes that hackney carriages should all display the same standard taxi sign bearing the council logo and licensing information.
However, many taxi drivers are against the change deeming it unnecessary.
Petition
Following a discussion by Wokingham Borough Council’s licensing committee, 46 cabbies have now signed a petition against the council’s proposed changes.
One driver commented: “There is no reason for a new standard taxi roof sign and this is just another nail in the coffin for taxi drivers.”
Height Restriction
One of the main concerns rasied by the disgruntled cabbies is that the proposed taxi sign would mean that drivers who own larger, MPV style cabs, would have to turn down airport jobs due to height restrictions in place.
For instacne, one of the larger vehicles that is licensed by the borough – the Volkswagen Transporter – already measures at 1.98m high whilst Heathrow, Gatwick and Birmingham have a taxi height limit of 2.05m.
The addition of the sign would therefore either mean a change of vehicle or that these drivers would no longer be able to access the airports.