Edinburgh taxi ad ban proposal is voted down

The City of Edinburgh Council has voted against a proposed ban on advertising on taxis, ending speculation that the &£1m business could be stopped (MW March 16).

The Outdoor Advertising Association (OAA), which lobbied against the ban, welcomed the decision, which was taken at a vote on June 1 by the council.

“The original proposals would have had a damaging effect on taxi drivers and serious financial implications for the outdoor advertising business,” says Alan James, OAA chief executive.

The OAA said the proposals would have shut down a market worth up to &£1m. It also feared that other cities might have followed suit if the ban had been approved.

The idea to ban advertising came from a report for the council by consultants Colin Buchanan on the taxi market in the city. It proposed to introduce a single corporate colour for all taxis in the city – affecting around 600 cabs which carry banner ads.

The OAA was helped in its efforts by political consultancy AS Biss. The ban was also opposed by Edinburgh-based CabAds and the Scottish Taxi Federation.