Taxi drivers accused of racism over St George stickers

Taxi drivers who put up St George stickers in their cabs saying they speak English have been accused of racism and warned they face suspension. A group of drivers of licensed cabs in Southampton put up the signs because they claimed passengers complained to them that some drivers cannot speak English.

The matter came to a head in a meeting with drivers and the city council last week when some drivers told the council of the alleged problem. Now the city council has said any cab that has the sign or a St George flag put up will have their licence suspended if they do not take them down within seven days. This is because they need the permission of the authority to put up any sign. It is also asking members of the public to report any such signs.



Clive Johnson, chairman of Southampton firm Radio Taxis, defended the stickers as a "protest" over falling standards of English among drivers and a response to customer feedback.

Mr Johnson said: “These signs are not racial. They are just saying we need to make sure new drivers have command of the English language because there are guys out there who are just bluffing it. It does not matter if they are Polish, Russian, French, Spanish – if they can not communicate to passengers we have to take that as a problem.”