embarrassingbut who is to blame ? is it the councils fault ?Hull cab drivers have said there is a "chronic shortage" of taxis in the city, with punters having to wait for three hours to get a lift on busy weekends.
Hull Private Hire Association say more needs to be done by the council to increase driver numbers, as well as organising more public transport for major events in the future.
Magnus Murray, owner of 706 taxis in Hull, said the problem has become so bad he only had 16 drivers available for Paul Heaton's Craven Park gig on Saturday night. Usually, he would have expected to have had a fleet of 50 or 60 for the evening.
He said the lack of taxis is an "embarrassment" for Hull and will leave them with not enough to adequately cover major events throughout the City of Culture year.
Mr Murray said: "It wasn't just the Heaton Park gig. If someone rings us for a taxi at 10pm on a Saturday they are looking at a three hour wait. There clearly aren't enough.
"We had dozens and dozens coming up the rank banging on the windows. People were offering £50 for journeys that would cost £5 just to get them ASAP.
"I think it's a bit of an embarrassment that we can't do this properly."
The Private Hire Association have previously called for the council to relax licensing rules to allow more people register as taxi drivers, without the need for BTEC qualification.
A spokesman for the association said: "The city if suffering from a chronic shortage of taxis.
"It was obvious at the event and I've brought it to the council's attention in 2015 and 2016. The numbers of drivers is just continually going down and it something I've warned people about.
"I think when everyone is having to get buses to and from events, more taxis is really important and would help to clear people a lot faster."
The spokesman said huge crowds waiting for transport could be avoided at future events if more taxis were in use.
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The spokesman said: "People could see the huge queues of people. There were hundreds walking down Hedon Road into town. If we had more taxis taking other routes it would have helped to clear people faster.
"And you will see the same thing happen for other events if there aren't enough drivers. More taxis could have used the back roads, avoided the traffic rather than people trying to get the bus into the city centre."
Keith Fenner, licensing manager, said: "The Licensing Authority is committed to driving up standards, especially in our year as City of Culture when we have more people using our taxis.
"There are 1,231 private hire drivers and 233 Hackney Carriage drivers licensed by Hull City Council. Drivers' working hours are at their own, or their employers' discretion.
"The checks and assessments drivers must undergo in order to obtain a license, which include background checks, have been introduced by the Licensing Committee over a period of time.
"These are there for the benefit of both customers and drivers, ensuring drivers have the appropriate knowledge and ability to be able to safely transport the fare paying public.
"These measures include the introduction of a BTEC qualification, designed to develop, support and enhance the knowledge of prospective applicants who want to earn a living from taxi driving."
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