Cabbies call to council ‘overhaul our licence system’

Frustrated cabbies want an overhaul of their licensing system, which would allow more cars to pick up from town centres.
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Taxis

GMB members are calling on Aylesbury Vale District Council to merge the red and white plates and replace them with a single cab licence.

Driver also want the council to overhaul the current separate urban and rural cab licencing arrangements into a single cab licence to cover urban and rural areas.

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There are currently 50 white plates covering Aylesbury and 11 red plates covering the rest of the council areas. Only cabs with white plates are allowed to pick up fares in town centres.

Steve Garelick, GMB Branch Secretary for professional drivers who represents the red plate drivers, said “There have been massive changes since these two grades of cab licences were introduced.

“GMB has advocated with council officers for some time now that a simple system needs to be put in place. So far our calls have fallen on deaf ears.

“There is absolutely no difference between red and white plates in the undertaking of either knowledge test or vehicle type in Aylesbury Vale. Also insurance, safety and standard of the vehicles are again the same.

“In fact all red plate vehicles are to a higher standard than some of the older white plate taxis that do not conform to European whole type approved.”