A DIVIDED TAXI TRADE OPINION: Should private hire vehicles be allowed signage?
- Perry Richardson
- 8 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The question of whether private hire vehicles (PHVs) should be permitted to display signage continues to split opinion, with drivers and industry figures voicing differing views on what should and should not be visible on licensed vehicles.
Supporters of signage argue that clear identification helps both passengers and enforcement. Drivers such as Mark Lang believe vehicles should display the words “Private Hire Vehicle”, include an “advance booking only” note and show the name of the operating company. This, they argue, improves transparency and customer confidence.
Stuart Wilby says signage should be limited to bold notices showing the licensing district and plate number, but no advertisements. He, like others, sees a distinction between necessary identification and commercial branding.
Meanwhile, some feel signage is outdated. One driver, May Lev, questions the need entirely, pointing out that number plates and licensing systems already identify vehicles in the digital age.
There are also questions over consistency in enforcement. Drivers such as Ashley Callaghan raised concerns over Wolverhampton-licensed vehicles not displaying side plates, while others, like Gibson Brennen, believe the issue highlights the broader lack of uniformity in rules across councils.
In practice, some PHV drivers say they already display company branding with the approval of their licensing authority. Others noted that if a driver moves to a public hire licence, advertising becomes possible, though often with added council charges.
The discussion highlights an ongoing tension in the industry: clarity and consistency for passengers and authorities, versus regulatory and financial burdens on drivers.
Some industry figures have raised concerns that allowing private hire vehicles to display prominent signage may blur the legal distinction between PHVs and hackney carriages. There is a risk that passengers, particularly those unfamiliar with the differences, could mistake a branded PHV for a taxi and attempt to hail it from the roadside.
This not only breaches the requirement that PHV journeys must be pre-booked, but also introduces serious safety concerns. Passengers entering un-booked vehicles have no booking record, which weakens traceability and increases the risk of encountering unlicensed or rogue drivers posing as legitimate operators.
