Let us fly flags on St George’s Day, say London cab drivers
London’s black cab drivers have called for a “bonkers” ban on displaying patriotic material to be overturned so they can fly flags from their cars to celebrate St George’s Day.
Transport for London (TfL) does not allow taxi drivers to display patriotic material under a ban on signs and advertising. Drivers can lose their licence if they break the rules.
But TfL is under pressure to lift the ban for 24 hours on Tuesday to allow drivers to decorate their cabs with the flag of St George.
A spokesman for the National Private Hire Association (NPHTA), which supports hundreds of the capital’s cab drivers, said the ban should be overturned.
David Lawrie, the director, said: “When it comes to the ban on the English flag, it’s bonkers. We live in England and we should be proud to represent our country. At what point do you consider political correctness to have gone too far?”
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In recent months, demonstrators at pro-Palestinian protests have carried Palestinian flags through London, and Mr Lawrite said: “The Palestine protests have made a mockery of the ban. You either have a rule or you don’t.
“You can’t have one rule that eliminates any sort of British pride but then be allowed to proudly display the flag of another country.”
Speaking to The Telegraph at taxi ranks near Victoria Station, cab drivers said they wanted to fly the flag on St George’s Day.
Barry Gardin, 53, said: “We should be able to have the flag. We are English. It’s our right. The Irish get to put up flags for St Patrick’s Day, and there have been all those Palestinian flags up recently. It’s hypocritical.”
Another driver, Keith, said: “Everybody else seems to be allowed to have theirs, so why can’t we have ours?”
For years, there was no national law on whether taxi drivers could display flags on their vehicles. Many chose to decorate their cabs with patriotic flags for St George’s Day and football tournaments.
In 2012, the Government introduced new rules that outlined the safety risks of cars flying flags, such as distracting other drivers. The change allowed councils to ban taxis from flying flags.
TfL, which is part of the Greater London Authority, was one of several authorities to introduce the ban. It was approached for comment.