Passengers in Glasgow say there aren’t enough taxis in the city at night, while drivers say there isn’t enough work to go around. Now, both will have their say on what the council should do.
It comes after Glasgow City Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee agreed last month to review its policies which put a cap on the number of vehicles it licenses, as well as launch a consultation into the demand for taxi and private hire car services in the city.
Restrictions
The Glasgow Times reports that there have been complaints that there are not enough taxis or PHVs available “particularly in the city centre in the evenings and at weekends to support the night-time economy”.
The authority has current limits of 1,420 for taxis and 3,450 for PHVs. The numbers of each currently stand at 1,238 taxi licences and 3,450 PHV licences operating in Glasgow. With the number of PHV licences at maximum capacity, it is understandable that PHV drivers and passengers are calling for more to be made available.
And with 182 taxi licenses available, it is easy to see why cabbies are unhappy about proposals to increase numbers.
The Glasgow Times added that business leaders have been calling for the council to increase the number of available licences to ensure more cabs on the streets, saying a lack of cars is keeping people away from the city centre at night.
But representatives for drivers have said that the problem is “a lack of customers and drivers are barely able to make a living”.
Consultation
Depending on the outcome of the consultation and review, the council will decide whether it should continue to have policies limiting the number of such licensed vehicles. If it decides to lift the cap, there will be no limit on the number of licences the council can issue.
Now it has been approved, the consultation will ask drivers, passengers, businesses and other residents: “Whether the policies limiting the number of taxis and private hire cars in the city are still necessary and proportionate and whether they continue to be in the public interest.”
The decision to launch the consultation followed a report to councillors by Mairi Millar, director of legal and administration. In it, she said: “Since the policies were last reviewed, concerns have continued to be raised regarding the availability of taxi and private hire cars in the city.
“Recent reports by the Progressive Partnership and Glasgow Caledonian University Moffat Centre, which were commissioned by the council, indicate that the late-night city centre economy continues to face a number of post-covid challenges.”
The Glasgow Times adds that the challenges include: “A decline in footfall, with both reports highlighting issues relating to a lack of late-night transport options including the availability of taxi and private hire cars acting as a deterrent to people coming into the city centre area later in the evening.”
The consultation will seek the views of the public, the taxi and private hire trade and from those involved in the city’s late-night economy.
While the public perception might be that it is difficult to get cabs at night, drivers are saying there is barely enough work to go around so it is vital they have their say in the consultation to stop a decision being taken without their input.
