Taxi Driver Online

Dundee taxi fleet could be cut due to drop in demand

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/d ... in-demand/

Dundee’s licensing board could take 20 taxis off the road in the near future due to a drop in demand.

A new report commissioned by the city licensing board found that passenger delays have halved in the last two years – suggesting there are more than enough cabs to meet local requirements.

Fewer than 4% of passengers experience any sort of delay waiting at a rank for a taxi, compared with more than 8% in 2016.

The report, from consultancy firm CH2M, suggests that the taxi market in Dundee is at saturation point and that the council should either maintain or reduce the number of licences given to drivers.

Chris Elder, taxi representative at trade union Unite, said he would be supportive of such a motion.

He said: “That’s very sensible – there are far too many taxis in the city centre. But we are also keen on the council bringing in a cap for private hires, because there are too many of them as well.”

Dundee City Council currently allows a maximum of 555 taxi licences at any one time.

However, CH2M said 20 taxis could be taken off the streets without causing any issues, based on a simulation of taxi use the firm ran using data from the Nethergate taxi rank in February this year.

The report said: “(Our) analysis shows that the removal of about 20 licenses from circulation on the day in question would have been unlikely to have resulted in delay.

“It is clear that demand for taxi services has decreased in Dundee since the last survey in 2016.”

Suggested actions for the council include maintaining the limit of 555 taxis or reducing it to 535.

CH2M’s claims that taxi numbers are at capacity were backed up by a number of bodies, including the GMB union, who said there was a “more than adequate supply of taxis…possibly too many”.

Dundee Community Transport also commented that the existing limitation policy “should be maintained”.

Research has revealed 70% of passengers rate their overall experience with the city’s hackneys and private hires as “very good”.

The city’s licensing board will review the report and make a decision on its policy on Thursday.

So who is going to hand in their plate?

Or will it be a tombola and the losers will be picked out first?

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IDFIMH