A TAXI driver has been ordered to get rid of Saltires painted on his car, because it does not fit with council regulations.
Rob Jamieson put white crosses on the bonnet and roof of his blue Renault after launching his Saltire Taxis and Tours service earlier this summer.
But Stirling Council has taken exception to the display of the flag of Scotland saying their rules state information displays are restricted to company names and/or company logo.
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The Saltires do not meet the criteria.
Mr Jamieson, whose services promises customers "no fuss or drama", told our sister paper The National: "Everybody thinks it's lovely and tourists love it. It doesn't matter where I go, people flash their lights, blow their horns and give me the thumbs-up."
"When I pick people up at pubs or the airport, they can see me straight away – you can’t miss the car.
“I was thinking about expanding more into tours and operating more cars with this as the branding, now I’m not sure if I can do that.
“At the end of the day, it’s only white stripes on the car.”
The cabbie, known for wearing a kilt on duty, says he called both the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and Stirling Council to get permission before spending almost £1000 on the decals which were fitted by a company in East Kilbride. Council officials say they do not remember his calls.
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An official from Stirling Council told him in an email: “We noted that there is a Saltire on the bonnet and roof of your vehicle this is not allowed on Stirling Council taxis and we would expect you to have this removed ASAP and provide proof of this please.”
A Stirling Council spokesman added: “Following a decision of the council’s Regulatory Functions Panel in 2011, private hire vehicles can only display a maximum of one sign on each of the two front doors, with strict limits on size and what information is displayed.
“Information is restricted to company name and/or company logo.
“Mr Jamieson’s signage does not meet this criteria and we have informed him of this. We will continue to engage with him to seek a positive resolution to this matter.”
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