CHRISTMAS revellers have been warned to steer clear of unlicensed taxis after a night on the town.

Kirklees Council, which licenses all cabs within the borough, has urged party-goers to check the vehicle’s and the driver’s identity before getting in.

This follows reports of motorists posing as taxi drivers, especially around the Christmas period.

Registered taxis will carry a licence plate which will include the licensing authority, the licence number, how many passengers it can carry and the vehicle registration number. The vehicle also displays door signs with the vehicle licence number displayed on them.

A licensed driver will wear an identity badge showing the driver’s photograph, licence number and licensing authority details.

While Hackney Carriages can be hailed, private hires cars cannot; they must be booked on the phone or at a taxi office.

Kirklees Council advises that passengers should ask for the driver’s name as well as the make and colour of the car and confirm the driver’s details when they arrive to check that it is the taxi or minicab ordered.

Clr Mumtaz Hussain, Kirklees Licensing Committee chair, said: “During the Christmas period in particular there could be many vehicles on the roads posing as taxis and operating illegally.

“People put their own safety at risk if they do not use a properly licensed taxi or private hire vehicle for their journey.

“The individuals driving ‘bogus taxis’ will not have had their personal backgrounds checked and approved by ourselves and other agencies as being fit and proper people to be driving taxis.”