DUDLEY borough people are being given the chance to hail their favourite taxi firm a hit in industry Oscars.

Nominations for Dudley Council’s Taxi Base of The Year are open to celebrate the best of the private hire and hackney carriage industry in the region.

The awards are in their second year and passengers are being urged to build in the success of last year’s competition which attracted 317 nominations and was won by Castle Cars of Dudley.

Councillor Richard Body, chairman of Dudley Council's taxis committee, said: “Most people use taxis, however occasionally, yet I suspect that most of us never think about the people who are providing this vital service. These awards are all about providing recognition for people and firms that allow us to live our lives.

“We’d like to hear from passengers who want to highlight excellent service that they’ve received and where firms have gone above and beyond the call of duty.”

Passengers are being invited to nominate firms for their reliability, helpfulness, outstanding service and cleanliness.

To nominate a taxi or private hire firm online or to download a form visit www.dudley.gov.uk/business.

The closing date for nominations is Friday March 14. The winner will be announced in March.