Taxi drivers in Elgin, in North East Scotland, have reacted furiously to a proposal that they should wear a shirt and tie to help boost the image of the town.
George Littlejohn, Elgin Community Council’s spokesman on road and transport issues, believes this move, along with other measures, will help smarten up the town’s image. However, it has provoked fury amongst local taxi drivers.
Safety First
Iain Emslie, Chairman of the Moray Association of Taxi Operators, spoke out against the idea, believing violence could be a problem if the new dress code was made mandatory.
Iain said: “Whilst shirts and ties may be a better style, I have a problem from a safety point of view.
“I’ve known of tie-wearing drivers who’ve been grabbed by passengers, which caused the cab to swerve off the road and crash.”
Iain, who is also the owner of A2B cars in Buckie, said: “My drivers already wear a company polo shirt, which is smart enough so I don’t think they should have to change.”
Taxi Signs
A proposal has also been made to regulate all the signs on top of the taxis in Elgin, to make them the same shape and size. Cabbies have also voiced concern over this motion as it will be hard for passengers to distinguish different taxi companies and becasue of the large amount of money this would cost to implement.