£200 offered to Plymouth cabbies towards taxi respray an ‘insult’ says rep

Plymouth taxi drivers have called the £200 offered by the council to help turn their taxis green and white an ‘insult’.

Plymouth Council are looking for all taxis to sport a distinctive green and white livery. The new livery was given a five-year lead-in time (May 2027) to allow the industry to recover financially from the coronavirus pandemic.

From May 2027 private hire vehicles will no longer be able to use white vehicles.

According to Plymouth Live, Martin Leaves, Secretary of the Plymouth Licensed Taxi Association (PLTA), said: “They are offering £200 but a lot of taxi drivers are saying that is an insult. We have had quotes for up to £2,000.”

The new livery policy has been controversial, leaving taxi representatives asking for a more simple and cost effective ‘coat of arms’ to be applied to the iconic vehicles plying their trade in the city of Plymouth.

There are big concerns that taxis with unique colours will also be harder to sell second hand.

Leaves told TaxiPoint earlier this year: “There’s also a problem when a cabbie wishes to sell the vehicle. Other cities will not be interested in buying a green and white taxi which narrows our resell market.”