Is it a word or not?

[DirtyHabit]

I want to licence my old New York Taxi to be used for weddings, school proms and such like. My local licencing say that I cannot have the words TAXI or CAB displayed on the vehicle. I have two domain names and want to put one of them on the rear of the car, but they say no.
www.newyorktaxi.co.uk
www.yellowcabcompany.co.uk
as there are no spaces, are they right to not allow them.

[joko]

alter them slightly - TAX1, CA8, YELL0, YELL0W, <AB

NOOYOIKTAX1CAB
new york yellow cars

etc etc

[loonytunes]

The point is that the council is the licensing authority and, if you decide you want to be licensed, they determine the conditions under which you can operate. You will be applying for a Private Hire Vehicle Licence which can only operate by prior booking and is not able to pick up unbooked passegners in the streets. You will not be licensing as a Hackney Carriage which can ply for hire in the street and from ranks and the council is empowered to impose conditions which prevent confusion being caused in the eyes of the public. That's why you can't use "taxi" or "cab" which are generally accepted as meaning a Hackney Carriage. So you decide - if you want to be legal, accept the conditions, if not, don't get a licence and act illegally although the punishments are harsh as your insurance will not operate. What you can't do is have a licence and then ignore the conditions. Its like joining the army and then asking for a pink uniform. The good news is that don't need to be licensed for any work in connection with a wedding (Transport Act 1985 and Section 75 of the Local Government (Miscellanous Provisions) Act 1976). If you use the word "Taxi" in adverts, Trading Standards may take action against you if you do not have a Hackney Carriage and, in some areas, Yellow Pages will not allow you to use the words in their books for the same reason. Take the Council on if you like but, in 20 years of licensing experience, everyone I have met who has tried has gone bust. They are paid to spend their time leaning on miscreants, if you spend your time fighting them, you will not be using your energies in making money. Think on.