London Cab Act 1968

4 Prohibition of the display of certain signs or notices on, and the issue of certain advertisements in connection with, private hire-cars.

(1) There shall not, in the metropolitan police district or the City of London, be displayed on any private hire-car any sign or notice—

(a) which consists of or includes the word " taxi " or " cab ", whether in the singular or plural and whether alone or as part of another word; or

(b) which consists of the words " for hire ", or the form or wording of which is in any other way such as to suggest that the vehicle on which it is displayed is presently available to take up any passenger wishing to hire it, or would be so available if not already hired.

(2) No advertisement—

(a) indicating that motor vehicles can be hired on application to a specified address or telephone number, being the address or telephone number of premises in the metropolitan police district or the City of London; or

(b) on or near any such premises indicating that motor vehicles can be hired at those premises,

shall include the word " taxi " or " cab ", whether in the singular or plural and whether alone or as part of another word, unless the vehicles offered for hire are licensed cabs or the advertisement makes it clear that they are not.

(3) Any person who—

(a) drives a vehicle in respect of which subsection (1) of this section is contravened or causes or permits that subsection to be contravened in respect of any vehicle; or

(b) subject to subsection (4) of this section, issues, or causes to be issued, an advertisement which contravenes subsection (2) of this section,

shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction, in the case of a first offence under the paragraph of this subsection in question, to a fine not exceeding £20 and, in the case of a second or subsequent offence under that paragraph, to a fine not exceeding £50.

(4) Where a person is charged with an offence under paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of this section, it shall be a defence to prove that he is a person whose business it is to publish or arrange for the publication of advertisements and that he received the advertisement in question for publication in the ordinary course of business and did not know and had no reason to suspect that its publication would amount to an offence under that paragraph.

(5) In this section—

• " advertisement " includes every form of advertising, whether in a publication or by the display of notices or by means of circulars or other documents or by an exhibition of photographs or a cinematograph film, or by way of sound broadcasting or television, and references to the issue of an advertisement shall be construed accordingly;

• " private hire-car " means a motor vehicle, other than a licensed cab or public service vehicle, which is used for the purpose of carrying passengers for hire or reward;

• " licensed cab " means a vehicle licensed under section 6 of the [1869 c. 115.] Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869, section 37 of the [1847 c. 89.] Town Police Clauses Act 1847 or any similar local enactment; and

• " public service vehicle " has the same meaning as in the [1960 c. 16.] Road Traffic Act 1960.

(6) The foregoing provisions of this section shall come into force on such date as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.