Drivers of cabs in Cardiff have welcomed a new ruling that enables them to take their vehicles to any qualified garage in the city for MOT testing.
This ends the monopoly that had been enjoyed by Cardiff Bus, which was previously the only place cabbies were able to go for the service.
Cardiff council ruled that Cardiff Bus had imposed unfairly high prices on taxi drivers, though a spokesperson for the company denied this.
Mathab Khan, who chairs the Hackney Carriage Association, said he was pleased with the results.
He pointed out that the recession has had an effect on drivers and that being able to use local MOT stations for taxi tests would ease their financial pressure.
Private hire taxis in Cardiff have also recently been required to display signs explaining that they must be booked in advance.
Mr Khan told the council that these cars had been collecting passengers without a booking and called for a “clamp down”, the Guardian reported.