Hackney carriage taxi drivers in Plymouth have been banned from wearing certain items of clothing as the council looks to set higher standards. Cab drivers are no longer allowed to wear denim jeans, football tops, hooded tops or flip flops following a public consultation and council meeting. The decision was made on Monday, with councillors deciding that the new guidelines would help "professionalise the trade". A voluntary dress code was already in place, but the council said they had received some complaints about the state of some cabbies outfits. An original proposal had set out to enforce a unformed dress code with particular colours, but the final decision dropped that request and instead set a list of garments not to be worn. However, a number of drivers are not happy with the new rule, especially with the inclusion of denim jeans to the banned list. In addition to the new dress code, taxi drivers must now also attend an ambassador course as well as complete a spoken English test. They are also banned from using E-cigarettes while they have paying passengers on board. The new Plymouth taxi dress code is as follows: All drivers must adhere to these rules as a minimum standard:
Collared shirt, collared polo shirt or collared blouse which has a full body and short or long sleeves
Smart long-legged trousers (no denim), knee-length tailored shorts, knee-length skirt or dress
Footwear for all drivers shall fit around the heel of the foot
Drivers should not wear or display any clothing, logos, badges or any other images that implies a political, sporting, national or similar allegiance which could cause offence, discriminate or enflame sections of the community
