Taxi drivers in the district could soon be helping to pay for extra security measures in their vehicles by displaying adverts.

Bradford Council-regulated hackney carriages and private hire cars are currently banned from selling advertising space. But a decision was due to be made at a Council meeting today to reverse this.

It follows pressure from taxi firms and the Bradford Hackney Carriage Owners' Association which want to use the cash generated to install CCTV and protective screens for their drivers.

If agreed at the Regulatory and Appeals Committee, the size, content and positioning on the vehicle would be regulated and an administration fee would cost £20 per vehicle.

Some believe such restrictions are too harsh - and would not create enough money to pay for the cameras.

Stuart Hastings, of Metro Keighley Taxis, was "bitterly disappointed" by the terms and conditions, which he said were too restrictive and would make advertising a "pointless exercise". He said: "I've been telling the Council for the last three years that it's really important there's no restriction on advertising space. Restricting it to the back doors is an absolute waste of time because we get income by selling space."

Mr Hastings said he had carried out market research and found that advertising on a whole car could generate £1,500, whereas advertising on back doors alone may not even raise £300.

He said his company, which runs 86 vehicles in Keighley, needed £400,000 to improve security and had been hoping the advertising would cover the lion's share.

CD Khalid, president of Bradford Hackney Carriage Owners' Association, said: "We want to install cameras but local government is not funding anything towards that cost, so we asked them to give us permission to advertise.

"Most of the drivers would rather have good clean taxis, without advertising, but we need the revenue for cameras."

Mr Khalid said he hoped evidence produced from CCTV cameras would be taken seriously and acted upon immediately.

Pervez Naik manager of Oxford Private Hire in Keighley, said: "These cameras are not cheap, so we need the extra funding. We have been lobbying for this after the spate of attacks on taxi drivers."

In a report to today's meeting, David Webster, the Council's head of business services, said saloon taxis could be allowed to advertise on both rear doors only, while people carriers would only be permitted to use the doors or panel at the back.

The rules would also allow adverts on the back of seats - or underneath tip up seats. Television-style adverts could be allowed on screens on the back of front seat head-rests.

No adverts for escort agencies, gaming establishments, or massage parlours would be allowed, alongside a ban on promoting drugs, alcohol or tobacco.

e-mail: jo.winrow @bradford.newsquest.co.uk