Tuesday May 5th 2026
Image from LA Trading's submission to the council
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
Advertising screens could come to Edinburgh taxis if councillors go ahead with a proposal being put before them at a Monday regulatory committee meeting.
LA Trading, a company which specialises in the service, has already rolled out the screens in several UK cities, including Manchester, Belfast and Brighton.
Taxis would not be required to carry the advertising screens, but instead would be permitted to have them installed on the driver’s side of the perspex barrier inside each cab.
In a document prepared for councillors, the firm stated that no adverts containing ‘offensive language’ or showing alcohol, tobacco, gambling or vaping would be displayed.
In addition, no adverts which carry content that would ‘defame’ race, gender, religious belief or lifestyle would be permitted.
The firm said it would be willing to run adverts by the council before publishing them each month, but added it was ‘experienced’ and ‘would not allow anything to get past us’.
The screens would not play audio, would not object drivers’ view of the rear window, and could be turned off at a passenger’s request by the driver flipping a switch.
LA Trading added that they would be willing to give the council airtime on the screens to promote health and safety messages, or ‘any other issues that would prove valuable’.
They further said these messages could reach 1.2m riders per month, if it succeeds in its goal to install their screens in 200 taxis ‘to start with’.
A report by council officers did not encourage councillors to support the screens being allowed for use in the city.
However, in a submission to the meeting, council licensing officers stated they had no objections to the proposal, as long as it was in line with safety requirements and the plans posed by the operators.
Officers added that, if the proposal was approved, they wanted each installation of a screen checked and passed for use at the council’s taxi testing and licensing centre.
They also stressed that any advertisements shown should not infringe on guidelines set out by the council’s licensing conditions.
Officers did note that the placement of the screen is likely to result in ‘some reduction’ of a driver’s ability to monitor the ‘general wellbeing’ of their passengers.
In the main body of the report, they proposed that the inspection of the installation should cost £77.
In their submission, LA Trading said that the screens would not pose any physical safety risks to passengers or drivers.
They added that the screens would ‘not become a missile’ in the driver’s compartment in a collision, and that the type of screen the firm uses for this had been tested.
Further, they stated that the installation of the screens would not void any vehicle warranties, as they are attached to the perspex divider by adhesives.
Additionally, they stated that the screens could easily be installed by a ‘highly respected’ auto electrical firm with a local presence.
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