Dundee’s two biggest taxi firms agree merger
19 December 2012 10.53am.
A dominant player has emerged in Dundee’s taxi market after the city’s two largest cab firms agreed a merger.
Tele-Taxis and Dundee Private Hire, better known to users as 203020, started operating as a single entity in the last few days, with calls for both firms being routed through the same exchange.
The Courier understands the coming together of the two companies, which has been led by Tele-Taxis, means 75 per cent of all of the taxis operating on the streets of Dundee are now controlled by a single entity.
While pooling office and background resources, the companies are to retain their individual identities, however, meaning 203020’s distinctive fleet of silver cabs will continue to operate across the city.
The new operator will have several hundred vehicles at its disposal, with Tele-Taxis alone boasting more than 300.
The combined fleet includes a range of wheelchair accessible cabs, saloons, seven-seater taxis and minibuses which are used for airport transfers.
The Courier contacted Tele-Taxis director Douglas Inglis about the new tie-up yesterday but he declined to comment on the situation.
David Young of Dundee Private Hire also refused the opportunity to talk about the link between the companies. It sparked a major revolution in the city’s taxi trade after its launch in 2001 with a fleet of Mercedes E Class vehicles.
Both firms have contracts to provide taxi services to Dundee City Council — the licensing authority for cabs in the city — and those arrangements will be unaffected by the change.
The council’s licensing convener, Stewart Hunter, said he had been informed of the situation and said his committee would be monitoring developments to ensure an acceptable quality of service for the public was maintained.
“I am aware of it,” Mr Hunter said yesterday. “I think our concern would always be that the public of Dundee is getting the best service is possibly can.
“I have no reason to doubt this merger will do that but obviously it will be something that we keep an eye on.”
Dundee Taxi Association chairman Graeme Stephen said Tele-Taxis and Dundee Private Hire were entitled to run their business as they saw fit.
He said he did have concerns, however, over how the emergence of a dominant player in the local marketplace would effect choice for the travelling public in Dundee.
of all of the taxis operating on the streets of Dundee are now controlled by a single entity.
While pooling office and background resources, the companies are to retain their individual identities, however, meaning 203020’s distinctive fleet of silver cabs will continue to operate across the city.
The new operator will have several hundred vehicles at its disposal, with Tele-Taxis alone boasting more than 300.
The combined fleet includes a range of wheelchair accessible cabs, saloons, seven-seater taxis and minibuses which are used for airport transfers.
The Courier contacted Tele-Taxis director Douglas Inglis about the new tie-up yesterday but he declined to comment on the situation.
David Young of Dundee Private Hire also refused the opportunity to talk about the link between the companies. It sparked a major revolution in the city’s taxi trade after its launch in 2001 with a fleet of Mercedes E Class vehicles.
Both firms have contracts to provide taxi services to Dundee City Council — the licensing authority for cabs in the city — and those arrangements will be unaffected by the change.
The council’s licensing convener, Stewart Hunter, said he had been informed of the situation and said his committee would be monitoring developments to ensure an acceptable quality of service for the public was maintained.
“I am aware of it,” Mr Hunter said yesterday. “I think our concern would always be that the public of Dundee is getting the best service is possibly can.
“I have no reason to doubt this merger will do that but obviously it will be something that we keep an eye on.”
Dundee Taxi Association chairman Graeme Stephen said Tele-Taxis and Dundee Private Hire were entitled to run their business as they saw fit.
He said he did have concerns, however, over how the emergence of a dominant player in the local marketplace would effect choice for the travelling public in Dundee.
