It is hard to understand just why the organisations representing Bradford's private-hire and hackney-carriage drivers are so strongly opposed to the new rules proposed for them by Bradford Council.

Unless there is some sort of hidden agenda which they know about and we don't, they seem eminently sensible regulations designed to offer greater protection to passengers. The proposed timing of the introduction of the new rules also makes a lot of sense: on December 1, ready for the Christmas and New Year rush.

How can the drivers' organisations reasonably object, for example, to a regulation which states that drivers cannot apply for a new licence within five years of being convicted for indecency or drug offences? There is surely a reasonable case to be made, in the interests of public safety, for declaring that even five years is not long enough and that anyone who has been convicted of using drugs or who has committed an offence of indecency should never again be allowed behind the wheel of a taxi.

And how can it be so unacceptable to propose a 24-week suspension of any driver plying for work in an unlicensed taxi, or fines for drivers failing to report an accident within 72 hours? These are serious infringements and should not be treated lightly.

The proposals seem to be a reasonable and overdue attempt to flush out the cowboys and make taxi travel safer. The law-abiding drivers and operators who obey the rules have nothing to fear from them and could actually gain through improved public confidence in the service they provide.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.