MANCHESTER

Manchester Licensing and Appeals Sub Committee yesterday voted to remove advertising from all Hackney Vehicles. They also voted that the Hackney vehicles will also go 'Back to Black'

This means that infuture all vehicles presented for test will have to be Black in Colour. They also voted to have a Manchester City Logo on the front doors. This move was opossed by most of the trade representatives at the meeting. However the Licensing officer's claimed they had consulted with the trade and none of the FIVE responses to the consultation had raised objections.

There were other interested parties at that meeting, namely representatives from two advertising companies.
Ubiquitous and Huge Media. It has since been allegded that these companies are joining forces and seeking legal advice on whether to challenge this decsion in the Courts.

It has been provisionally estimated that the Manchester trade will loose some 600 grand a year in advertising revenue.

However these proposals are no doubt in part due to the fact that we have Hackney Carriages from 18 different authorities around the Country working here in Manchester, under the guise of Sub contract to Manchester PH Operators.

There has also been a suggestion that Manchester's  PH Propriorters will also have to follow a similar route and remove advert's and Company logos from thier vehicles. They have been allowing thier Company Logo's to be fitted to "Out of Town' Hackneys.

In the case of Manchester's PH Operators, with the exception of Radio Cars and Street cars, Manchester's biggest and most proffessional Companies, you reap what you sow.

It is a pity the Hackney trade gets caught up in the crossfire. However this was a Sub Committee decsion it will go to a Full committee vote , where a further reprt will be presented.