Aberdeen: Limit on city taxis could be restored

Source: The Press and Journal

A cap on the number of taxis in Aberdeen could be brought back in amid pleas from drivers who are struggling with soaring costs.

Councillors have asked local authority officials to investigate proposals for a survey to be carried out on Aberdeen’s taxi trade. The move followed a request from drivers and could lead to the return of a limit on the number of taxis allowed to operate in the city – five years after a similar cap was scrapped.

Licensing committee members also called yesterday for a report to be produced on a proposed review of fare levels in Aberdeen, after city drivers called for a 5% rise.

Tom Wilson, a member of the council’s taxi and private hire consultation group, asked councillors to order the trade survey. “The taxi trade in Aberdeen, due to the recession, is in quite a bad state from the drivers’ point of view because the money is not there,” he said.

“Obviously the cap would not be forever. All we are asking for is fair play.”

A previous cap of 915 city licences was lifted by elected members in January 2006, amid hopes the measure would cut queues and ensure the local authority would not face legal action from drivers wanting to set up in Aberdeen.

Committee members Marie Boulton and Kirsty West indicated support for a taxi survey yesterday, but a detailed report will be discussed at the next meeting in June before any final decision is taken. Officials will also bring back proposals for the first review of taxi fares in Aberdeen for almost three years.

Tommy Campbell, regional organiser for the Unite trade union, led a delegation which called on councillors to support the proposed survey and fare rise at yesterday’s meeting.

He said afterwards: “The request for an increase is not unreasonable given that taxi drivers have not seen a fare increase for almost three years and given the high cost of fuel coupled with the effects of the recession on their earnings.

“Taxi drivers have commitments to meet along with other workers and it is only fair that they be awarded a minor fare increase in all these circumstances.”

Mr Campbell added: “Unite is also calling for a cap on the taxi trade as it’s clear that taxi drivers are having to work longer hours because of the downturn in trade coupled with more and more taxi licences being granted since the cap was removed by the council.”