Unhappy Derby cabbies petition to go back to black

Fed-up cabbies in Derby have started a "back to black" campaign, challenging a 2001 Derby City Council edict which forced all taxis to be sprayed bright yellow so that they could be more identifiable to the general public as well as those with a visual impairment.

The Derby Area Taxi Association (DATA) have stated that since black is the prime colour of all taxis that are produced and purchased, that is the colour that they should remain.

It is believed that the majority of DATA members are supportive of the campaign, and the matter has been raised over the last year with council officials. DATA have been willibg to make concessions toward the council by suggesting that the bonnet alone be sprayed yellow.

The Derbyshire Telegraph reported that it can cost around £1,000 to change the colour of a taxi, and can also adversely affect the resale value of the vehicle. This has been described as an unwarranted financial burden on drivers. 

Javed Akhtar, vice-chairman of DATA, has also pointed out that the colour change may invalidate the manufacturers warranty as well as interfere with the integrity of the vehicles seals. It has also been remarked upon that it could also be in contravention of the regulators code.

As of19th December, 112 drivers had signed the petition.

It is believed that Derby City Council are reviewing the taxi fleet as a whole, which includes looking at the vehicle colour, costs atrributed to it and other factors which have been submitted by DATA.