To most of us, a taxi is a taxi and so long as it gets us home, the distinction between a Hackney Carriage and a Private Hire Vehicle is not something we bother ourselves with too closely.

However, for the men and women at the sharp end of the trade, the differences are very important - and this week two judges sitting at the High Court agreed.

When magistrates threw out Bradford City Council's attempted prosecution of a mini-cab driver for dropping off passengers at a taxi rank, the Council took it further.

The High Court upheld the Council's appeal, and sent the case back to court, but more wide-ranging than the individual case is the ruling from the High Court that private hire drivers must not venture into Hackney Carriage territory.

Some have slammed the whole situation as "petty", but the High Court support of Bradford Council sends out the right message - and may dampen the fires of a potential turf war between taxi drivers and private hire drivers before they get out of control.

The rules clearly state that only Hackney Carriages can be hailed from the street or use the ranks, while private hire cabs must be booked through the firm's office.

By going to the High Court, Bradford Council has kept the peace, and that should be welcomed. There have been grumblings that the Council should be spending less time on chasing minor infringements and should tackle the problem of unlicensed, uninsured cowboys operating on the streets.

If people know of such dangerous practices, they should inform the Council. The rules are made for our safety, and it is only right that the Council enforces them - all of them.