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City to decide whether it needs more taxis and PHVs

A city street scene in Glasgow, Scotland, featuring two traditional London-style taxis—one black and one red—on a wet, reflective cobblestone road. Pedestrians are walking along the street. The background consists of a mix of modern and historic sandstone buildings. The sky is overcast, and the street appears busy with people carrying shopping bags.

Drivers and passengers will have their say on whether Glasgow needs more taxis and PHVs, and if limits on their numbers should be removed.

Last month Glasgow City Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee agreed to launch a consultation into the demand for taxi and private hire car services in the city.

It is also reviewing whether the authority should “continue to have policies limiting the number of such licensed vehicles” and has requested that the director of legal and administration reports back with the findings.

Limits

The Glasgow Times reports that the authority has set current limits of 1,420 for taxis and 3,450 for PHVs. The numbers of each currently stands at 1,238 taxi licences and 3,450 PHV licences operating in Glasgow.

But the newspaper reports that there have been complaints that there are not enough of either, “particularly in the city centre in the evenings and at weekends to support the night-time economy”.

It 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”.

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.

The licensing authority could keep the cap as it is or even lower it, although with claims of demand exceeding the number of current vehicles, this is unlikely. If there is a change, it is likely to add to an increase in the number of licences available.

Consultation

Now it has been approved, the consultation will ask: “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 Post reports 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 would seek the views of the public generally 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.

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Private Hire & Public Hire