Taxi Driver Online

Taxi numbers in Cambridge could be capped in response to congestion and violence concerns



A limit could be put on the number of hackney carriage taxis in Cambridge amid fears about congestion on the city’s streets.

Action is set to be taken by the city council in response to complaints about long queues of vehicles at ranks and warnings that competition between cabbies could boil over into violence.

On Monday the licensing committee is recommended to approve the first steps towards carrying out a survey to establish whether there is no significant unmet demand for more hackney carriages – the only circumstances under which the council can consider capping the number of licences it issues.

Cllr Jeremy Benstead, who chairs the panel, said: “We think it’s worth looking into this again and we are open-minded about it.

“If we have too many taxis all going to the same place, it can cause friction.”

There are currently 308 hackney carriages vying for trade in Cambridge.

This put numbers of the vehicles – which can be flagged down in the street or hired at a rank – at an all-time high.

They are up against 180 private hire vehicles, which cannot be regulated by the council, and another 800 registered in south Cambridgeshire.

Concerns have been expressed about the impact on highway safety of ‘over-ranking’ and taxi drivers have complained they have been forced to work ever longer hours.

A study commissioned by the council last year estimated that hackney carriage drivers now spent 51 per cent of their working time waiting, rather than on a job.

David Wratten, the chairman of trade association Cambridge City Licensed Taxis, welcomed the move.

He said: “We should put a cap on numbers – we need sensible management involving the councils and the trade. Drivers are having to work longer hours to make money.”

A cap on the number of hackney carriages was last in force in 1995, when there were 120 hackney carriages.

The committee is also recommended to approve an average increase of 2.2 per cent in hackney carriage fares, slightly lower than the 2.5 per cent rise requested by the trade.

There was no across-the-board fare increase last year in response to the economic downturn.


Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambrid ... z37W2EOrpX

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Could have been done 10 years ago but the kkunts bottled it ........................tossers the lot of emmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Wish they would get their wording right, cannot be restricted please, not regulated.

Still should they restrict, all that will happen is the numbers of PH will rise.

But of course PH vehicles don't emit emissions, or create congestion.

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IDFIMH