Dial-a-Cab Chairman Brian Rice was recently invited back to City Hall, home of the Mayor of London's GLA to meet with Anni Marjoram, the head of the Women's Transport Advisory Committee and Spokesperson for Woman's Affairs in London, to discuss the problem of signage on private hire vehicles. Brian had originally asked for the meeting when the PCO / TfL' Ed Thompson first mooted the idea of allowing outside signage on PH vehicles "...to make them more easily identifiable to their clients."
   Brian put forward the case that he has mentioned several times previously in Call Sign, if PH are allowed to advertise on the exterior of their vehicles, then that will open a can of worms with every Tom, Dick or Harry minicab tout putting a name on their car, making it even easier to spot than just a non-connected aerial already does. Brian also pointed out that even the British Airports Authority (BAA) is against any such new freedom for licensed PH. Their view, like Brian's, is that outside signage on cars will cause chaos at their airports with touts allowed to operate at will.   Brian told Ms Marjoram that the only signage

 
Brian Rice

that should be  permitted are two licence plates - one on the exterior rear of the licensed car and one on the inside - just as licensed taxis have. If they are waiting for someone specifically, then a simple name board would suffice. Otherwise every other car in London would be running around with Tom, Dick or Harry's car hire plastered all over it. Anni said that they understood the problem and that the Mayor now wants touting to be a recordable offence as against just a fine.
   Ms Marjoram then explained that she joined the Mayor in being upset at the recent LTDA poster campaign against Met Commissioner Sir John Stevens, because they felt that the LTDA's figures painted a false picture. She explained that of the total number of rapes against women, 92% are committed by a person already known to the victim and that of the remaining 8%, 80% took place in the back of an unlicensed cab. Brian pointed out how easy it would be for any car owner with a name plastered onto his car, to pick up an unsuspecting woman travelling on her own and to convince her that he was alicensed vehicle just by pointing to the exterior signage.
Brian told Call Sign after the  meeting:

Linda Perham's Support... Support for Brian's view also came from Ilford North MP Linda Perham, who stepped into the debate by launching a campaign against outside signage on private hire vehicles. She told Call Sign:   
   "As one of the MPs that fought to see licensing for minicabs, I am now extremely concerned that the current proposals put forward by TfL create new safety problems by allowing exterior signage on minicabs."
   Ms Perham added that exterior signage would reduce public safety by creating confusion, would increase touting in allowing the public to be deceived by "imitation" PH vehicles that are unlicensed and also place an unnecessary burden onto enforcement and policing in London. She intends bringing an 'early day' motion on the subject before Parliament.
   Brian Rice added that support against exterior signage was now widespread and that he hoped the PCO would react to that.