Stoke-on-Trent City Council deregulated hackney carriage services in the city in February, paving the way for dozens of extra black cabs to work in the Potteries.
Numbers had previously been capped at 89 licences, but have already jumped to more than 130.
But cab drivers’ leaders say the council has done nothing to improve the infrastructure for drivers and passengers, despite collecting extra licence fees.
Stoke-on-Trent Hackney Carriage Association chairman Dave Burgess-Pearson said that, despite numerous requests from his organisation, the council has failed to provide extra taxi rank spaces.
Mr Burgess-Pearson says that a lack of planning has meant desperate drivers are clogging up key city centre routes, and sometimes having to wait on double yellow lines as they queue at overcrowded ranks.
He said: “There are now more than 40 extra cabs working in the city, but there’s no extra ranks at all. It’s a joke.
“Drivers are trying to queue on the rank at the top of Stafford Street in Hanley, but there aren’t enough spaces so they are blocking the road.
“The council wardens are telling them to drive around to find fares, but with the price of diesel we just cannot afford to be using up fuel.
“A lot of drivers want to work in areas like Burslem and Longton, but Burslem has just one rank and there are none at all in Longton.
“There is simply no room for us, and problems like the queues in Stafford Street are making us look bad.
“The public are shouting at drivers because they are blocking the road and the council are moving them on, but there’s nowhere for them to go.
“The council has gained at least £20,000 in extra licence fees, but it has said it won’t be able to add any extra spaces to the Stafford Street rank until October.
“It seems that they have opened the stable door, but they haven’t given us anywhere to graze, and now drivers are struggling to make a living.”
The city council’s portfolio holder for environment, Councillor Joy Garner, said: “There are plans for around 15 new taxi spaces across Hanley, Burslem and Longton by early September.
“The council has carried out extensive research with drivers themselves to find suitable locations for extra taxi ranks across the city.
“There are also a further 15 to 20 spaces being looked at and expected in the near future along Stafford Street and the rest of the city.”
She added: “However, it is important to remind shoppers and other customers that hackney carriages can be flagged down in the streets and there is no need for them to always go to a taxi rank.”
Hanley West and Shelton ward member Councillor Zulfiqar Ali said he was aware of the problem. He said: “A number of drivers have told me that they cannot make a living because they can’t park anywhere to collect or drop off passengers.
“The council needs to provide more spaces for them there, and they also need to have better access to the city centre at night, otherwise they will not be able to make any money and it is going to be bad for business in the city centre.”
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Numbers only jumped by 40 since dereguation. Thats nothing compared to Woking Borough Council where prior to deregulations that number of taxis were 45 and so far there are about 98. WIth only only a small rank space parking has been a nightmare. Thats more than a 50% increase in taxi numbers.
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