Use a licensed taxi and stay safe over the festive season - that's the message from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC).

The council's licensing team is reminding people who are planning a night out this winter to think ahead about travel arrangements.

Their message is ‘don’t get into an unregistered, untraceable car which isn’t displaying taxi plates’.

Council members say travelling by taxi is generally very safe, but it is important to make sure the vehicle is licensed and to take sensible precautions.

Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, both also known as taxis, operating in the borough must have a council licence.

"We would also encourage taxi users to complain about any inappropriate behaviour by our drivers, including overcharging" - Toni Conlon

That licence means, through the application process, the driver has been checked and the vehicle has regular mechanical checks.

Toni Conlon, secretary to the Tunbridge Wells Hackney Drivers Association said: "We want to make sure that people know that by travelling in a taxi licensed in Tunbridge Wells, they can be assured that the vehicle is compliant with council policy.

"Also that it is MOT tested twice a year, the driver has undergone vetting and criminal background checks before being issued with a licence, and that they are fully insured.

"We would also encourage taxi users to complain about any inappropriate behaviour by our drivers, including overcharging. Only by complaining can we discourage unwanted behaviours and remove rogue and illegal drivers from our streets."

In Tunbridge Wells taxis are white, they will have a licence plate on the rear and inside they will have a meter which calculates the fare based on charges set by the council.

Private hire vehicles in the borough can be any colour and they charge a fare set by the company not the Council. You should always be pre-book a private hire car and never get into a private hire vehicle if you haven’t booked it.

Passengers have the security of knowing that licensed drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles should always wear a Council-issued photo ID card.

Chair of the council’s licensing committee Councillor Bob Backhouse said: "Council staff, in partnership with Kent Police, regularly carry out checks on licensed vehicles to ensure they continue to be safe for passengers. I would urge taxi users to make sure they know they are travelling in a licensed vehicle."

Anyone who has any concern about a taxi can call 01892 554034, quoting the licence plate details.