Cap on number of taxis able to use ranks will stay in placehttps://uk.news.yahoo.com/cap-number-ta ... 28868.htmlA cap on the number of taxis in Southampton which can be hailed on the street and use taxi ranks will remain unchanged.
The decision by city councillors came after an independent survey found there was no evidence of unmet demand.
Members of the licensing committee approved continuing to restrict the number of licensed hackney carriages in Southampton to 283 vehicles.
Perry McMillan, a Unite the Union representative with a taxi licence in Southampton, said: “The survey showed there was no unmet demand and I am just pleased councillors saw sense to keep it at that because we are struggling out here with not enough room on the ranks and the last thing we need is more taxis piling up.
“Everyone in the trade, even licensing officers know there is no need to put extra taxis on, but they have to keep going through this process of proving it.
“Drivers will tell you they are driving around trying to get onto a rank and it is already full up with cars.”
During the committee meeting on Wednesday, March 11, chairman councillor Gordon Cooper asked what impact lifting the cap would have.
Russell Hawkins, licensing service manager, said: “I think there would be quite a lot of ill feeling within the hackney trade at this particular point in time to do that because there is no unmet demand identified and that is certainly something that they’ve not seen.”
Mr Hawkins said the taxi trade could see more changes on the horizon in 2028 with council mergers through local government reorganisation.
He said a fresh taxi policy would need to be written for the new unitary authority.
Woolston ward councillor Sue Blatchford said several sections of the survey report by Licensed Vehicles Survey and Assessment referenced comments from people who were not able to find a wheelchair accessible vehicle on the rank.
Cllr Blatchford said: “My issue is whether we could actually, whilst accepting the overall report is indicating there is no unmet demand, put on a nominal number of wheelchair accessible plates to reflect the particular need in Southampton.”
The committee heard all new hackney carriage licences issued in Southampton had to be wheelchair accessible vehicles, however, this was not required if an existing licence holder was replacing an vehicle.
There are currently around 70 wheelchair accessible hackney carriages in the city.
Mr McMillan said there needed to be a strategy to educate the drivers of these vehicles that the number one reason for having them is to service wheelchair users.
Alongside deciding to keep the 283-vehicle cap in place, the committee encouraged discussions to take place with neighbouring local authorities around future taxi licensing policies for after local government reorganisation.
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