Permanent signs on taxis across Portsmouth scrapped as drivers complain of 'terrible' vandalism

CITY taxi and Uber drivers toasted victory to scrap permanent signs on their cars - to lift restrictions on trade and counter alleged vehicle damage - after councillors gave the green light to the calls.
Damaged taxis in Portsmouth pictured last year.Damaged taxis in Portsmouth pictured last year.
Damaged taxis in Portsmouth pictured last year.

Members of Portsmouth City Council's licensing committee agreed to change the policy to allow magnetic or permanent signs on vehicles along with registration numbers.

It came during a heated meeting where committee chairman Claire Udy was so exasperated she swore before abruptly calling a break and then apologising for her profanity.

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The meeting heard how private hire and hackney carriage drivers have been victim to 'terrible' vandalism - with signs on their cars making them targets.

The drivers argued temporary magnetic signs offered a solution to their plight.

Uber driver Peter Sutherland said: 'Livery should be optional. It is unfair to resist our right to free trade.

‘All we were asking was for livery to be optional. Cars would still have six pieces of signage on them so the public would still feel safe.

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‘Vehicles are being attacked that wouldn’t be attacked if they were unmarked.’

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Uber and taxi drivers at breaking point over vandalism crisis in Portsmouth

The view was supported by Portsmouth Hackney Carriage representative Chris Dixon.

‘When drivers have gone home they just want to take signage down. We don’t feel damage to our vehicles is a red herring,’ he said.

‘Our drivers will still show livery when driving. They can’t just go to Gatwick to do some moonlighting.’

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But not everyone agreed. Aqua Cars manager Bruce Hall told members to reject magnetic signage. ‘You will be opening a big can of worms. It will be a race to the bottom,’ he said.

‘Cars get damaged whether they have signage on them or not.’

He added: ‘People want to know what vehicle they are getting into.

‘Other councils are looking at you. It is a hot potato and someone needs to make a stand.’

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Licensing manager Nickii Humphreys urged members to reject magnetic signage saying it was contrary to law as well as putting the public at risk.

‘Signage makes people aware of the vehicle they are getting into,’ she said. ‘It is important to protect the public, especially the vulnerable.’

Councillor Lee Mason, though, pointed out that ‘59 per cent of the country use magnetic signage’.

According to police data Portsmouth had the highest number of recorded vehicle crimes in Hampshire in 2018 with 2,704. The following year there were 1,656.

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But a police report submitted to the meeting claimed there was no evidence of taxi drivers being singled out by vandals.

Members will now meet next month to discuss how the policy - which would go-ahead for a 12-month trial - will be implemented.

But taxi drivers, on both sides of the debate, said after the unanimous committee decision: ‘They won’t go back now.’