Liverpool City Council set to tighten rules on taxi and private hire advertising
- Perry Richardson
- 47 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Liverpool City Council is preparing to update its advertising guidelines for Hackney carriage and private hire vehicles. The changes, set to take effect immediately following committee approval, aim to bring advertising standards in line with current public health and community expectations.
The revised policy introduces two new restrictions. Adverts for electronic cigarettes will no longer be permitted, joining the existing ban on tobacco advertising. In addition, adverts linked to gambling or betting services will also be prohibited.
These updates reflect wider public health concerns and social responsibility considerations. The Licensing Department will continue to assess each application on its own merits, but will now explicitly reject applications promoting vaping products or gambling.
Existing conditions for private hire vehicles remain unchanged. Operators without full or partial liveries must continue to display clear door signs that identify the operator and state that vehicles must be pre-booked. Advertising by third-party businesses remains allowed on rear passenger doors, provided it does not breach Council guidelines or imply that the vehicle is a Hackney carriage.
Council officers have also reiterated the importance of advertising content being suitable for public view across all areas of the city, including residential zones and near schools. The guidelines continue to disallow adverts containing sexual content, offensive language, violent imagery or anything that may compromise road safety through distraction.
By tightening advertising restrictions, the Council seeks to support public health objectives while maintaining high standards for the licensed taxi and private hire sector.
