Licensing authorities are responsible for ensuring taxi and private-hire drivers and their passengers are safe. It is also their role to maintain standards within the trade.
While it is understandable that vehicles and drivers that pose a risk to the public should be taken off the road immediately, should drivers face the same punishment for minor infractions such as breaching the dress code?
Dressing down
Over the summer, The Courier reports that drivers in Dundee were warned they could lose their badges if they failed to adhere to the strict dress code imposed by Dundee City Council.
In August, the council sent an email to drivers informing them that “a crackdown is under way after concerns that some drivers have been turning up for work in ‘football attire’, shorts and tracksuits”.
The email, which was shown to The Courier, reminded drivers that they must present a “professional image” at all times and warns that failure to comply with Section 21 (dress code) of the licensing rules could result in a driver’s licence being suspended or revoked.
The list of prohibited clothing includes training shoes, baseball caps, shorts and tracksuits. Denim shirts and jeans are banned, as are casual T-shirts and football attire.
Instead, the dress code requires all drivers to wear a dress shirt, blouse, or polo shirt, with dress-type trousers or a skirt, and dress shoes, boots, or dress sandals.
Reaction
But since that warning was issued, PHTM reports that there has been a backlash from drivers, who claim the rules “pose a risk to their health and are ‘unsafe’.”
Drivers calling themselves “A collection of local cabbies” have since written to The Courier claiming the policy is “severely outdated” and called for the council to bring its policy “into the 21st century.”
They add that being forced into clothes such as formal trousers and leather shoes is restrictive and impractical for their work.
Citing overheating and dehydration during summer months, the group added: “Dundee taxi drivers deserve better than a dress code that belongs in another era. Forcing us into leather shoes, formal trousers and shirts might look tidy on paper, but in reality, it is unsafe, unhealthy and out of step with modern working standards.”
They also said the formal dress code was impractical when helping customers with heavy shopping and made it difficult for them to do light exercises between jobs, affecting their ability to stay active.
“It is entirely possible to look smart, presentable and respectful in modern workwear, smart trainers, loose trousers, or tailored shorts in summer,” they told The Courier.
Their objections left the council unfazed, with a spokesman responding: “Taxi drivers can raise issues directly with the city council if they have any concerns.”
Smart and practical
Elsewhere, plans to introduce strict dress codes have also proved unpopular. In December 2023, Cumberland Council’s plans to introduce a dress code hit a dead end, with the council eventually insisting that “taxi and private hire drivers must wear an identification badge at all times, with their badge number, photo and expiry date visible on it” and “always be clean and respectable in your dress and present a professional image”.
Similarly, plans to introduce a dress code in Rochdale seem to have stalled, with the Rochdale Council focusing instead on key licensing issues such as vehicle ages and emissions.
The Manchester Evening News reports that despite attempts a year ago to bring in a dress code to “create a good first impression”, no progress had been made and there were currently no plans in place to introduce one.
It goes without saying that taxi and PHV drivers and their vehicles should always appear clean and smart. But the more important issues are safety and having the right taxi insurance in place. They also need the right tools to do the job, including being allowed to wear comfortable clothing.
On a hot day in August, does a passenger choose one cab over another because one driver is sweltering in a shirt and tie while the other is cooler and more comfortable in a T-shirt? First appearances matter, but a comfortable driver is more relaxed and would arguably driver better and more safely than someone who is uncomfortable and being irritated by what they are being forced to wear.
