Taxi Driver Online

GLASGOW cabbies are to join talks for proposals to drop restrictions on the number of black taxis operating in the city. The controversial recommendations, made by the Office of Fair Trading earlier this month, would see limits removed on the number of cabs operating in all UK cities.

But following a meeting of the licensing committee, council bosses decided to consult with the Glasgow-Wide Taxi Owners Association before ruling on the proposals. If adopted it would mean a complete deregulation of the industry. The TOA response will then be considered before the city council responds to a Scottish Executive consultation on the issue which is due by the end of the year.

But Edward Kelly, of Glasgow TOA, said the proposals would be impossible to regulate in a city the size of Glasgow and warned of large-scale bankruptcies if they were adopted. He said: "As far as we are concerned the OFT proposals would be detrimental to the quality of service on offer in Glasgow at present. "An open free-for-all situation would also be very difficult to police or regulate. "Our view is that Glasgow could not sustain a deregulation of the taxi industry."

A council spokeswoman said: "A special meeting of the licensing committee will be convened before Christmas to take these discussions further. "This is in light of the need to have our response back to the Scottish Executive before December 31. "Our request for a response is going to the TOA who are the largest representative taxi group in Glasgow."

The city council is currently empowered to limit the number of taxis operating in Glasgow under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.
The number of licences awarded to drivers is reviewed annually.
But if the OFT proposals are adopted it would mean a massive increase in Glasgow's taxi fleet, which currently stands at 1428.

An OFT spokeswoman said: "Based on research throughout the UK we recommend that restrictions on the numbers of licensed taxis should be lifted. "Half of UK councils currently don't apply quantity restrictions, and as a result more taxis have come into the market, so this is very much a pro-taxi and pro-consumer stance."

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Well you can't fault Glasgow City Council for their speed.

I hope many other councils follow sort, and will those they don't, be accused of being gutless and in the pocket of the existing HC trade?

I hope not.

Who mentioned deregulation? I hope we are not joining the scare-mongering brigade, Mr Kelly.

Can't be done in a City the size of Glasgow, but has been done in a City the size of London for generations.

But why let the truth get in the way of a lie?

There you have it, the OFT are doing it for all the HC boys and girls.

I hope you are extremely grateful.

I think that some are many things, but certainly not happy.

Alex

I would not have thought that consulting with the local TOA is likely to provide a very balanced or impartial viewpoint!

Can I assume that the council are also consulting with the local PH association and members of the public, after all they use the service (although I accept that most will simply say we need more cabs on a Saturday night).

By the way, is it legal for and do any council members hold hackney plates? If so, do they need to decare this and abstain from any relevent votes? I wonder.

Regards,

Dave.

I think many councillors have vested interests in the HC trade, and the law of average says that many of their family members must also.

Where i work the opposition top councillor on the transport committee is a taxi driver.
Vested or what?

he maybe thats not ilegle but does he declare an interest on taxi matters?

that he must do.