Taxi Driver Online

High demand brings more taxis on to city's streets

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnews/High-demand-brings-more-taxis.4700278.jp

NEW taxis have been introduced throughout York after complaints that there were not enough vehicles to cope with the demand from tourists and the city's residents.


Taxi firms have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds to boost the number of hackney carriages in the city after
York Council agreed to grant 15 new licences to meet the demand.

The new vehicles mean that the number of taxis operating in York has increased from 158 to 173, and the number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles has also risen to 35.

York Council's head of licensing, Dick Haswell, said: "Good late night transport is vital to the night time economy. Taxis are often the only option when the buses and trains stop.

"With more taxis serving the ranks, visitors to the city centre will be able to get home or back to their hotels more quickly, reducing the potential for noise and drink-related incidents in and around the city centre ranks.

"This is a tremendous commitment by the plate holders who have purchased or leased these new vehicles at a time of economical downturn."

York's tourism industry attracts more than four million visitors every year, putting a huge demand on taxis when coupled with the city's own 191,000-strong population.

The decision to create the new licences has led to 15 new purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible vehicles being purchased by the new plate holders – equating to a £400,000 investment in new taxis.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

And the world is going to end.

Wont be able to get on the ranks.

Drivers will be going bust.

Vehicles wont be looked after.

Any I've missed?

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IDFIMH

Yeah, how funny the LO's name is

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

York’s new taxi fleet
9:20am Tuesday 18th November 2008

Comments (6) Have your say »

By Mark Stead »

A FLEET of new taxis is hitting the streets of York – in the hope they will help combat boozed-up trouble in late-night queues for a cab.

City of York Council has granted a swathe of new licences for hackney carriage vehicles which will allow 15 more drivers to pick up passengers, after being told demand for a taxi in the city was not being met.

The move is aimed at cutting down on waiting times at York’s cab ranks and prevent frustration boiling over and drink-fuelled fights breaking out, with the new licence-holders’ investment in their vehicles equating to around £400,000 despite the pressure of the credit crunch and soaring fuel costs.

Their taxis will be purpose-built and wheelchair-accessible, painted in black with the red crest of York on the side, and have been designed to low emission standards.

Unlike private hire vehicles, they will be allowed to collect fares from the city’s eight full-time and eight part-time taxi ranks and customers will also be able to flag them down in the street. Their arrival means York now has 173 taxis – 35 of them with wheelchair access – with a further 184 hopeful cabbies currently on a waiting list.

The council introduced the new licences following a survey earlier this year by consultancy group Halcrow, which claimed the average waiting time for a hackney carriage vehicle in York was 2.78 minutes, more than a minute worse than the national average.

Dick Haswell, the council’s head of licensing, said: “Good late-night transport is vital to the local economy.

“Taxis are often the only option when the buses and trains stop, and with more taxis serving the ranks, visitors to the city centre will be able to get home or back to their hotel more quickly, reducing the potential for noise and drink-related incidents in and around the city centre ranks.

“There can be trouble when people congregate there after a few drinks and flashpoints occur, and there are also complaints about the noise created by people walking home at night through areas such as Bishophill and Aldwark instead of waiting for taxis. We hope the new licences will help prevent this sort of behaviour.

“This is a tremendous commitment by those who have purchased or leased these new vehicles at a time of economic downturn. Times are difficult, so we will see how it works as we regularly review the situation, but the waiting list for licences shows plenty of people feel it’s worth their while applying.”

However, when the new licences were mooted earlier this year, York Taxi Association secretary Alan Rowley claimed it would be “devastating” news for existing drivers, saying: “There isn’t enough work for us.”

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

amazing int it

too many drunks at kicking out time and the solution is?


more taxi's, bleeding obvious innit

so,er, what will all these £15,000 motors do the rest of the day and week?...

Same as they was before, picking their radio customers up.

But this time they are genuine hackneys, not PH hackneys.

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IDFIMH