Official : Worcester has too many taxisIT’S official – Worcester has too many taxis.
Independent experts have investigated the city’s taxi trade for the first time in more than a decade, and say the number of cabbies far outweighs the demand from people in the city.
Their report concludes: l Cabs are often “illegally parked” because ranks are full to bursting; l Up to 81 per cent of taxis drive away without a passenger because not enough customers turn up; l Taxis are “frequently observed” waiting on the road before joining ranks because of a lack of space; l There is a “surplus of waiting vehicles” around the city and a “significant proportion” have no customers. The investigation was paid for by the taxi trade. Lesley Borthwick, from Worcester Taxi Drivers’ Association, which represents Hackney Carriages, said: “To me it’s pretty categorical – it basically says we don’t need any more taxis in Worcester.
“For people made redundant from their job a taxi is seen as an easy fix, but it’s harming us all – drivers have to work a lot more hours than they used to and they aren’t even getting the minimum wage.”
Councils that seek to cap numbers risk legal action from would-be taxi drivers unless they get independent evidence that the tally is too high.
And while the report does not advise the council what the ideal number is, it concludes there is “no significant unmet demand” in Worcester.
The council’s licensing committee is going to debate it on Wednesday and chairman Councillor Paul Denham said the findings were “not a surprise”.
“I am still of the view I would like to cap numbers as soon as possible, ideally on Wednesday, but I can’t predict what the committee will do,” he said.
The survey was last carried out 12 years ago, when consultants said Worcester was “fairly close” to all demand being met, with about 100 taxis.
Today in Oxford, there is a cap of 107 taxis to service a 150,000 population – 50 per cent greater than that of Worcester. In 2001, Worcester had 102 taxis, but in recent years it has risen to today’s high of 305.
Of that total, 249 are Hackney carriage vehicles – with 20 new drivers since the summer.
Many current drivers have been calling for a cap for years, and paid an independent body, called the Vector Transport Consultancy, to examine the current situation.
At The Cross rank, on Thursdays 47 per cent of drivers depart without a passenger, falling to 38 per cent on Fridays and 20 per cent on Saturdays, the report showed.
On Sundays, 81 per cent of Hackneys leave without a customer, meaning they have to go to another rank or drive around to waste time before.
At the Foregate Street rank 58 per cent of drivers depart without a customer on Thursdays, compared with 45 per cent on Friday and Saturdays and 80 per cent on Sundays.
There were only two incidents of passengers queuing during the day – and the longest wait was one minute 40 seconds.
The report said Worcester has a “surplus of waiting vehicles at The Cross, Foregate Street and Angel Place” and as one taxi leaves, “another would immediately take up the space and fill the rank”.
Over ranking, where the number of taxis spill over the available space, is a “frequent occurrence”, “many leave empty” and cabs are “often illegally parked”.
source:
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/107 ... is/?ref=nt
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