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Hands-free radios call for Kirklees taxis
TAXI drivers should be made to use hands-free radios in Huddersfield. That's the plea being made later today by a Kirklees Council Cabinet member in the wake of tough curbs on mobile phones in cars. Clr Martyn Bolt believes it is wrong that taxi drivers can still use hand-held radio microphones while driving when all other motorists are banned from using mobile phones while they are at the wheel. Now he is taking his case to a meeting of the full council. He hopes to get all-party backing for his appeal to make Kirklees the first area in the country to implement a full hands-free system for drivers. He wants the hands-free radio system to be fitted in all taxis and private hire cars. He also wants it to be a condition of drivers being granted a licence. A pilot scheme using the hands-free equipment was tested by Kirklees Council's licensing department several years ago, but was not taken up by taxi firms. Clr Bolt said: "It would cost about £50 to fit the equipment to a taxi. That is nothing compared to the cost of running a vehicle. "How much safer would it be for passengers if the taxi driver ferrying them home was not fiddling with a microphone and the radio controls while at the wheel? "It needs only a discreet microphone, perhaps mounted on the sun visor, to make things far safer. "There are at least 1,000 taxis and private hire vehicles in this area which would be much safer if we insisted on a hands-free radio system."
Mar 2007 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner
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