Taxi licence renewal after new car purchase can be a problem

As the government and local councils continue to crack down on bogus taxi's that tout for clients, Manchester council decided that one of the ways that this could be achieved was to have a strict colour code for their licensed taxis. A few years ago the council brought out a new colour policy for private hire vehicles; this was to ensure passenger safety and for members of the local community to recognise licensed private hire vehicles.

Just recently a taxi driver traded in his old car for a newer silver Honda Accord as the older Volkswagen Passat was getting too old. There is not much difference in colour between the two vehicles but when he went to renew his taxi licence, it was refused because the newer car is the 'wrong shade of silver'. Council chiefs have issued him an ultimatum to either buy a new car that meets the strict colour code or have it re-sprayed so that it meets the strict criteria.

It's absurd as all the vehicle registration documents state that the car is indeed silver but the council is still insisting that it is grey. It's a no win situation where an innocent taxi driver who relies on his job to provide an income for his growing family is forced to spend more money for unnecessarily. What is even funnier is that the council brought in this colour code to make it easier to identify licensed cabs but silver is the most common colour for a vehicle, so how are would-be passengers be able to know the difference?

It would appear that since 2008 clear definitions of the colours were introduced to avoid confusion when cab drivers purchase new vehicles, and over the last 18 months there has been a huge reduction in vehicles that do not meet the strict colour code policy. But even then there is still much confusion when it comes to defining the colours white, grey and silver as the council seem to have a different interpretation compared to the DVLA.

If you are a licensed cab driver and are thinking of changing your vehicle it may be worth checking with the local council to see if they too have strict colour code policies on licensed taxis. It could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Most councils that have this policy on place also provide swatches so you can take along when you purchase your new car.