Taxi drivers in Moray are considering legal action to thwart a dress code that prohibits them from dressing casually.
Earlier this week, the local authority pushed through a ban on cabbies wearing trainers, jeans, T-shirts, football tops and shell-suits.
Yesterday the region’s drivers questioned the legality of such a move, and said they would look into court action to see if the scheme could be reversed.
Dougie Ross, 47, who did not wish to reveal the firm he works for, said he was “absolutely livid” at the dress code.
He said: “Certain aspects of the code show no regard for the comfort of taxi drivers.
“Whenever I’m in a situation that calls for dress shoes I can’t wait to remove them because they feel so uncomfortable.
“My feet end up in agony, and I don’t think that will help my driving.
“I don’t understand how Moray Council can get away with this, councillors are not the ones driving the taxis and they are not giving us money for the clothes.
“I am thinking of going to a solicitor as there must be a law against this.”
Retired cabbie Willie Duncan lampooned initial proposals to impose a dress code by wearing a bright yellow spoof New York taxi driver outfit in 2012.
Last night Mr Duncan, who worked for the West Road firm, branded the rules a “dictatorship, not democracy”.
He said: “There is a public interest element here and I don’t think the council has consulted the public at large on the ban.
“Taxi operators should definitely be appealing against this ban on a point of principle.
“I don’t think the proper process has been adhered to here at all, and I would think Moray Council should have bigger priorities on its hands than how taxi drivers dress anyway.”
Moray Council yesterday stressed the dress code was ethically fair.
A council spokesman said: “The dress code approved by councillors in not gender specific and has no race or religious implications.
“A full equalities Impact assessment was carried out on the proposal before it was placed before the committee.”