Taxi Driver Online

Dundee’s taxi numbers to be capped by council

Dundee City Council has introduced a cap on taxi numbers in the city — the first time there has been a limit on cabs in almost a decade.

Following the publication of a survey which showed there was “no significant unmet demand” for taxis in Dundee, councillors at the latest licensing committee unanimously agreed to limit the number to 661.

There are 674 taxi licences in operation in the city — with five temporary licences — and that figure will be reduced through natural wastage, with no new licences being granted until the numbers fall below 611, councillors agreed.

Once that lower limit has been breached, the committee heard, a further survey will be held. In addition, legislation demands that an annual “top-up” survey must also be held to determine whether the figure is still 
appropriate for the city’s needs.

After the meeting, licensing convener Stewart Hunter praised the efforts of council officials in getting approval for the new policy.

“There has been a lot of hard work put in by officers and it’s also thanks to the taxi trade for being patient with us in getting what I believe is a better system for taxi drivers and most improtantly, for the public as well.”

The study, conducted by Halcrow this year on behalf of the city council and based upon a fleet level of 661 vehicles (at the time of the survey), found high passenger satisfaction.

Even if the numbers of taxis was reduced by 50, it would not affect any unmet demand, the survey showed.

The research showed that fewer than 10% of customers had given up waiting for taxis at a rank and there were no instances of passengers being present at ranks that were not being serviced by taxis at some point during observation periods.

The report says: “Should the authority introduce a numerical limit, we have identified that by reintroducing the limit at 661, there is no evidence of significant unmet demand.”

Around 85% of the public questioned stated they believed there are enough taxis in Dundee.

However, the study has identified that if the fleet was to reduce to 611 vehicles, there would be no effect to passengers in terms of delay.

“Therefore, should the limit be introduced, we would suggest that this be no lower than 611 vehicles,” it adds.

The committee must also decide to instruct a further full survey in three years.

Councillor Laurie Bidwell asked whether the policy would take into account the anticipated influx of visitors following the opening of the V&A, and was reassured that the annual “top-up” survey was precisely there for those situations.

After the meeting he said: “I was conscious that the recently launched Tourism Action Plan for Dundee is projecting half a million visitors to the city in the first year after the V&A opens and 300,000 thereafter.

“We don’t want visitors to the city arriving and finding they have to queue for a lengthy period for a taxi.

“I am reassured by the confirmation from council staff that the annual updating of the survey will be able to accommodate future actual and anticipated increases in demand for taxis.”

source: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/ ... l-1.107901

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

And just how much extra will that cost the cash strapped Dundee community charge payers?

That's not the way the law works, even up there.

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IDFIMH

Thought somebody might notice

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Right what's the drill in Dundee if you wanted a hackney plate? Council not issuing them because they've been capped? Does that mean you can pay your fee and wait on a list or what's the drill really?

You go along the rank with shed loads of wonga, and offer to buy a plate now,

Just another council breaching Human Rights.

I'm sitting in Edinburgh. Man B lives in east Lothian.

We're supposed to be equal under the Law.

Yet, he can get a licence to operate a taxi. I can't.

He's more equal than I am.

This isn't about equality. It's about protectionism. it's about politicians control. It's about taxi operator's inability to compete.

And it's about an economy that is completely destroyed by banker's greed.

What should have happened is that licence holders who can't cut should have been forced out of the trade. Even if only temporarily. ease of licence reinstatement would have assisted this, and eased the situation for those who remained, who had nowhere else to go. But there is nowhere for these guys to go. the economy is so bad, their previous trades are also fecked. A poor shift in the cabs is still better than leaving it.

Restricting licences means that they will be retained no matter what. Owners will stick it out, because if they surrender their licences they will never get it back.

And licences will now accrue a value they have no right to. And those with licences will be laughing that they've now been granted an unexpected pension. Those who would work in the trade are now denied equal opportunity.

Restriction is corruption. Dundee City Council is corrupt and both morally and politically bankrupt.

It can't get any worse than this.

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Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

And, given licences will now accrue a false "value", who exactly is going to be handing licences back to allow numbers to reduce to the lower limit. Does anyone seriously believe couccillors really knew what they were doing?

City of Dundee Council should be disbanded for such poor policy making.

The councillors are a disgrace. And they're patting themselves on their backs for all the "hard work" in coming up with this policy.

And if proof was needed that it is long overdue for the Scottish Government to reform the CGSA to rein in such fascist control by councils, then this has to be it.

And all because councils don't want to institute quality controls. Weed out inferior vehicles; drivers who can't speak English and communicate sensibly with their customers; drivers who don't know where they are going; drivers who are rude, and treat their customers with disdain. The list is long.

Does Dundee allow incorporation of licences? if not, we're back to licences being operated by the back door. So how does the council control that? Are they really in control when a friend of a friend of a mate round the corner is operating a licence because he's paid for the privilege. Licences being "rented" out.

All this proves is that councillors live in a bubble. They have no concept of reality, and they're not interested in understanding it. They'll just tick a box and move onto the next area to mess up. I wonder how many of the councillors in Thicksville region actually engaged with the argument to the point they tried to understand all of the issues?

Or did they just follow like sheep with the cretin councillor who lead this policy on behalf of the trade vested interests who are laughing all the way to the bank as their licences have metamorphosed into a pension for the boys.

Q: What's the difference between a Dundee Councillor and a catfish.

A: One's a bottom feeding, scum sucker ... the other's a catfish.

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Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Not from what I've heard you can't transfer plates in Dundee unless any one knows different?

Of corse you can, you buy the cab along with them, then put the cab in your name

*course

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Not in Scotland you don't

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

The plate in Dundee is non transferable, it is and, always will be the property of DCC. But, there are a lot of corporate plates in operation who, host names of directors of chosen company name.

The plate is always non-transferable in Scotland.
Companies are however transferable and this is often used to get around the rules.

Plenty of illegal plate hiring goes on too.

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