"a stone was thrown at their vehicle"
Taxi drivers in Sheffield have urgently appealed to the city council, requesting permission to temporarily remove the identifiable signage on their car doors.
This measure is aimed at protecting them from being targeted by far-right demonstrators, who have become increasingly active in the area.
Nasar Raoof, the representative for the taxi trade within the GMB Union in Yorkshire, highlighted the growing concerns among the drivers, particularly those of Asian descent.
Over the past two weeks, some of these drivers have endured verbal abuse, with incidents escalating to the point where stones were thrown at their vehicles.
Mr Raoof emphasised that allowing drivers to remove the signage would be a crucial step in safeguarding them from further harassment and violence, enabling them to continue working without fear of being singled out due to their profession or ethnicity.
Sheffield City Council said there were currently no plans to make changes to its policy.
Mr Raoof said: “One of our members reported that a stone was thrown at their vehicle when they had an NHS worker they were transporting from a care home back to the Hallamshire Hospital.
“They had broken glass in their lap.”
“This discussion was purely to request the council to remove the door signage on the sides of the vehicle that readily makes it noticeable from a distance.”
According to Sheffield City Council’s current policy, both the front and rear doors on taxis must have visible signage to show the vehicle is for private signage.
The policy reads: “Door signage affixed to the front doors must be the design approved by the licensing authority, be securely attached, contain the council crest, the words ‘Advanced Booking Only’ and ‘Private Hire Vehicle’ and the vehicle licence number.
“Door signage affixed to the rear doors must be the design of the licensing authority, be securely fixed and contain the name of the operator(s) along with contact information – phone number or app details.”
Councillor Joe Otten, of the council’s waste and street scene policy committee said:
“We have carefully considered this issue and sought guidance from South Yorkshire Police as to the level of risk currently posed in Sheffield and to taxi drivers and, as a result, there are no plans to make changes to our taxi licensing policy at this stage.”
Mr Otten added that the council would continue to closely monitor the situation and would revisit its approach accordingly should any new information or intelligence come to light.
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