Cabbies will be banned from smoking in their cars under a planned shake-up for rules for taxi drivers in York.

And all cabs would have to have rear seat belts under the proposals for governing the city's private hire and hackney carriage drivers.

The suggestions for changes to by-laws and licence conditions are mainly acceptable to both private companies and hackney drivers.

But some today criticised City of York Council for spending time discussing making laws to govern issues such as prohibiting drivers from smoking when the vast majority already observe them.

The council's Planning and Transport Committee meets on Thursday to discuss putting the laws in place.

As the law in York stands taxi drivers can smoke if they have permission from customers, but the new proposals would prohibit that.

Council officers have also suggested making it illegal not to have rear seat belts fitted in all taxis.

Barry Hamer, a shareholder in Ebor Cars, said: "As a non-smoker I approve of the council saying drivers shouldn't smoke in their cars, but most already don't.

"Our cars have 'no smoking' signs fitted, and the driver has to regard those as well as customers. We shouldn't smoke in confined spaces.

"With rear seat belts, I don't know of a taxi in York which doesn't already have them.

"I do approve of what the council is saying, but I don't think they really need to spend the time discussing it and making by-laws."

The council is also suggesting having side panels reading "pre-booked only" fitted to private taxis, making it clear they are for private hire and cannot be stopped in the street.

But Mr Hamer said most private firms already showed clearly that they were operating for private firms.

Gerald Grisedale, chairman of the York Taxi Drivers' and Owners' Federation, said: "As far as I am concerned most taxi drivers haven't smoked in their cars for years, and making sure all taxis have rear seat belts seems to be sensible.

"With those two issues I have no argument with the council."

The council is also proposing to change knowledge tests, which gauge drivers' understanding of the city of York, from oral to written examinations.

Mr Hamer said: "Any test that is more stringent is good, but I would need to see what is on the new test before I could comment."

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