Taxi Driver Online

Why don't you make a Freedom of Information request getting the up to date number of PH vehicles and drivers?

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IDFIMH

We have requested all sorts of information under the act only to be denied.

The Council claim they have discretionary powers to hold back information if they deem that information to be sensitive for whatever reason.

So much for the FOI act.

yes i believe thier words were "not in the public intrest"
mmmmmm
wonder why?

Bollocks!
The numbers are freely available on the Taxi Licensing Officer's Monthly report. I quoted from the latest one, which gave the number of PH cars, as at 31st July 2005, as 788. Perhaps you overlooked that section as it doesn't support your argument?
PH have increased, but the actual numbers, as opposed to the figures plucked from nowhere by skull, are, in May there were 789, June 791 and July 788. Somewhat short of the 15+ new licences per month. There may be varying numbers of new applications per month - but the number of licences NOT renewed is ignored by him.

From these same figures, since January, there have been 33 applications for taxi operators licences and 549 applications for PH operators, yet whilst the number of taxis has remained static, the actual increase in PH cars is 54!
As regards PH drivers licences, there have been 1278 applications for new licences over the last 2 years, yet the actual icrease in PH drivers numbers is 139 making a total of 1771. This compares to taxi driver new applications of 549, resulting in an increase of 151 making the current total 3410 over the same period.
Between January and July this year, the number of PH drivers REDUCED by 32, whilst the number of taxi drivers increased by 133.
I think this clearly demonstrates that there are many who try PH and find it is not as lucrative as was thought, so do not renew their licences.

And the 800 Ph where did they come from?

The Council even stated this in their survey tender document "the ph have more than doubled in the last 3 years". Where did the 400 increase come from I am sure it was not all at the airport.


You might want to have a wee look down the M8 and see what the taxi drivers in Glasgow think about being out numbered 3-1.


Funny how everyone can see the Ph taking the work but you cant?


Perhaps you can enlighten us as to how many Ph/ Taxis from the surrounding areas are working Edinburgh or do they not exist as well.

no one said these numbers were'nt availible .if you want to look at the numbers over a period of time i think youl find an average of 15 per month,they go up and down month to month but thiers a steady increase in numbers(more than double in the last three years)


im going to assume youve made a typo
and yes taxi licences will remain static thiers a quota in edinburgh in case you didnt know?

and the taxi driver numbers show's what exactly?
go away and think about this
i dont know what youre argument is here are you for or against?

I have to admit I've seen that myself.

Whilst out visiting my old Grandparents, I took a Midlothian TX from Eskbank into the St James centre.

As he dropped us off, a punter got in, and the meter went on!

Can you repeat this for RealCabforce he has trouble with the basics.

If you're trying to discern some pattern for PH numbers growth because of controlled taxi numbers, then telling us the number of taxi license applications compared to the number of issues tells us nothing - indeed, since there's clearly little expectation of a taxi application being granted, but there's every expectation that a PH application will be, then even comparing application numbers is pointless.

But you do have a point insofar as that its the actual number of vehicles operating at any one time that's important, not the number of applications. Given the obvious ease of entry into the Edinburgh PH trade, there's clearly a high turnover, as demonstrated by the figures, but that's a different issue. Or does the 549 figure include renewals as well? This seems a huge amount for six months or so.




So in the last five years or so taxi numbers have increased by around 4% but driver numbers have increased by about 14%? It's amazing that this has happened if there's too many taxis on the road, but of course if they're not allowed to operated their own vehicle then that's OK. But it may help explain the downturn in work, and also how the survey has found no unmet demand.

And according to that recent article, the owners still can't get enough casual and part-time drivers. Amazing



But I thought the plate holders in Edinburgh were wailing that the taxi side was becoming less lucrative as well. And if this is true, why invite these 133 new drivers into the taxi side.

The answer, of course, was given above

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