A TAXI group is warning passengers in north Kent are at risk of travelling uninsured.

The United Taxi Group, which represents taxi drivers in Gravesham, has said in about a year around 20 taxi drivers have reported seeing drivers with green licence plates stop in the borough and pick up passengers.

Drivers who display these restricted private hire licences are only allowed to do pre-arranged journeys such as airport runs, where the driver crosses borough boundaries.

They are not supposed to be used for work in Gravesham.

Group spokesman Rick Davis said: “None of the holders of these green licences has had to sit a local street knowledge test like all hackney carriage and private hire drivers.

“More worrying for the general public is that the insurance they carry is invalidated if they carry out hire and reward work in contravention of the terms of their licence.”

A licensed hackney carriage is the only vehicle which can stop anywhere. A private hire vehicle must be pre-booked.

Gravesham Council has issued 50 green plate licences — formerly yellow plates — in the past nine years.

A council spokesman said: “No conclusive evidence, other than anecdotal evidence, has been supplied to us regarding an alleged transgression by any individual restricted private hire licence holder.

“The council will act if there was any such evidence.”

However, Mr Davis said: “We have made it clear to the council it is issuing a licence which it is unable to police.

“As a result, it is failing in its duty of care to the public to ensure any public carriage vehicle it licenses is operating within the terms of its licence and therefore is correctly insured for the job.”