The Minister is not to be drawn, but colour-coded cabs are on the way

The feasibility of having a single colour for taxis is one of the first things that will be examined by the taxi regulator, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday.

"I do think it would be very important that we have a single national colour so that taxis are recognisable instantly and that they take on that professional look about them," he said.

He said he would not be drawn on the colour but would wait to see the recommendations of the interim taxi regulator.

Mr Vinnie Kearns, of the National Taxi Drivers' Union, said he had no problem with this as long as drivers would not have to bear the full costs of such a change.

Some countries and cities use a standard colour for taxis. London has become famous for its black cabs, but taxis do not have a uniform colour in Britain. Yellow is the standard colour in New York while German taxis are beige.

Taxis in Hong Kong are colour-coded red, green and blue, depending on the areas they serve.