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Here in Renfrewshire we had a survey carried out a few years ago by the Fraser Institute which found that there was no unmet demand
The Council's Taxi Enforcement Officer follows this up with his own 'survey' every summer
RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL
To:
Regulatory Functions Board
On:
25 August 2005
Report by
Director of Corporate Services
Annual Report of Taxi Demand
Within Renfrewshire Council Area
1.
Summary
1.1
The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 empowers Councils to refuse to
grant new taxi licences in order to limit the number of taxis operating in their
area provided they can demonstrate there is no significant unmet demand for
taxi services.
1.2
On 3 December 1998 the Corporate Services Committee adopted a policy to
limit the number of taxis licensed to operate within this Council’s area as a
result of a survey carried out by the Fraser of Allander Institute, Strathclyde
University. The limit was 212. However, the number of licences in force is
now 214 as a result of a Court of Session decision in relation to an appeal
against the refusal of an application for 2 taxi licences.
2.
Recommendation
2.1
That the Board maintain the present limit on the number of licensed taxis to
operate within the Renfrewshire Council area in terms of Section 10(3) of the
Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.
3.
Background
3.1
In order to properly maintain a limitation on the number of licensed taxis the
demand for the services of taxis must be kept under review. To that end, it
was decided that an annual report would be submitted to the Regulatory
Functions Board to supplement the findings of the report prepared by the
Fraser of Allander Institute.
3.2/
3.2
In addition, on 4 June 2003 a further report by the Fraser of Allander Institute
on the demand for taxis in Renfrewshire was considered by the Regulatory
Functions Board. It was concluded that there was no evidence of a significant
level of unmet demand for taxis in the Renfrewshire area.
3.3
Renfrewshire Council is in a rather different situation to most other Scottish
local authorities in that currently 177 of the Council’s 214 taxis operate for a
large proportion of time from the taxi stance at Glasgow Airport.
3.4
At Glasgow Airport special arrangements have been put in place by the
British Airport Authority to ensure that no member of the public arriving from a
flight will be left stranded due to a lack of taxis. This problem had
occasionally occurred during the night at Glasgow Airport when only a small
number of taxis operate there due to the limited number of incoming flights
compared to daytime flights when a considerably higher number of taxis are
always available. The present situation is that during the night if no airport
taxis are available then either the Taxi Marshall, who is employed 24 hours
per day, the Airport Duty Manager, or Strathclyde Police will contact the Taxi
Owners Association at Gilmour Street, Paisley and request that taxis attend to
uplift the passengers. A further backup is in place in the very unlikely event
that taxis are neither available at Glasgow Airport nor Gilmour Street, Paisley
which is that Clyde One Cars, a private hire company based at Renfrew, is
authorised by the British Airports Authority to attend and uplift passengers.
3.5
Recent surveys have been conducted at the main taxi stances in Paisley and
Glasgow Airport. The taxi rank which is situated at Houston Square,
Johnstone, is no longer used as a result of the growth in private hire both in
the number of cars and companies of which there are now 4 servicing the
needs of the public in the Johnstone area.
3.6
The surveys which were conducted for 15 minute periods in the daytime and
60 minute periods in the evening indicate that demand for taxis is generally
still being met at present at the major ranks. No complaints have been made
to the Council’s Taxi Enforcement Officer to the effect that any member of the
public is experiencing difficulty obtaining a taxi from the appointed ranks at
any time.
3.7.1
Gilmour Street, Paisley
Evening surveys were conducted at the taxi rank in Gilmour Street, Paisley on
four occasions during April 2005 between 7pm and 8pm. During a midweek
check a total of 47 persons hired a taxi and no waiting was involved.
During two weekend surveys on Saturday evenings in April a total of 95
persons hired a taxi and one person had to wait 11 minutes for a taxi.
Further evening surveys were conducted at the taxi rank in Gilmour Street,
Paisley once in May and once in June 2005. The earlier survey was
conducted at 7pm and the later at 7.30pm. During a weekend check a total of
51 passengers hired a taxi and no waiting was involved.
3.7.2 Glasgow Airport
At Glasgow Airport during the two midweek evening surveys in April between
8pm and 9pm, a total of 196 persons hired a taxi and no waiting time was
involved due to a continuous service by the taxis.
At Glasgow Airport during both evening surveys in April 2005 conducted at
8pm and 8.30pm respectively a total of 147 passengers hired a taxi but on no
occasion did anyone have to wait as there was a constant flow of taxis from
the main feeder rank to the front of the terminal building. Enquiries with
Airport Taxi Services at Glasgow Airport and the Paisley Taxi Owners
Association, Gilmour Street, Paisley, indicate that there is no significant
demand for taxis which is unmet.
3.8
In April 2005 the Council’s Taxi Enforcement Officer attended at the
Braehead Shopping Centre and met with the Operations Manager regarding
the present set up of taxis and private hire cars with regard to the service of
the public. It has been confirmed that the stance situated at Sainsburys
Supermarket which was previously used by Renfrewshire Licensed Taxis is
no longer used as a taxi rank due to lack of demand. A new taxi and private
hire pick up point has now been put in place adjacent to the Information
Centre outside the Braehead Shopping Centre. A private hire company,
Clyde One Cars of Renfrew, have 2 freephones situated within the Braehead
Shopping Centre and this appears to provide a satisfactory service to the
travelling public as no letters of complaint have been received by the
Council’s Taxi Enforcement Officer.
In Spring 2006 the Xscape concept is due to open at Braehead following the
success of similar concepts which have opened at Milton Keynes and Leeds.
It will comprise of a real snow ski slope, multiplex cinema, twenty lane
bowling, bars and restaurants and urban and lifestyle shopping.
The opening of Xscape may have an impact on the demand for taxis.
However this situation will require a period of monitoring for approximately 6
months from the date of opening to determine whether or not a public hire taxi
rank will require to be reinstated at the Braehead Shopping Centre.
Further visits will be made by the Council’s Taxi Enforcement Officer to the
Braehead Shopping Centre and Xscape and liaison made with the Operations
Manager of the Braehead Shopping Centre to ensure that the requirements
for taxis are being met. A further report by the Council’s Taxi Enforcement
Officer to the Regulatory Functions Board may be required at a later stage if
circumstances change.
4.
Legal Position
4.1
The Council as licensing authority is permitted to impose a limitation on the
number of taxi licences in terms of Section 10(3) of the Civic Government
(Scotland) Act 1982, provided that it is satisfied that there is no significant
demand for the services of taxis in their area which is unmet.
4.2
As provided for in Coyle -v-City of Glasgow Council a licensing authority
imposing such a limitation must keep the level of demand for the services of
taxis under review. Failure to review the demand for taxis would mean that a
licensing authority could not properly refuse an application for a new taxi
licence in order to maintain a limitation on the total number of taxi licences.
Implications of this report
1. Financial Implications -None
2. Personnel Implications -None
3. Community Plan Implications
Social Inclusion -Meeting the public demand for taxi/private hire vehicles
within Renfrewshire.
Modernising Government -None
Sustainable
Development -Limiting the number of taxis to meet demand lessens
pollution and use of non renewable fossil fuels.
4. Legal Implications -See 4.1 and 4.2 above.
5. Property Implications -None
6. Information Technology Implications -None
7. Equal Opportunities Implications -None
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