CABBIES LEFT FUMING OVER DELUGE OF NEW LICENCES
Cabbies are furious after politicians agreed to increase the number of taxis operating in Bath by nearly a fifth. They say the move by Bath and North East Somerset Council to abandon a previous limit on the number of hackney carriages in the city will flood an already over-stretched market.
Until recently, the number of hackney carriage licences in Bath had been capped at 89.
In the past week, however, 17 new licences have been issued - an increase of almost 20 per cent.
A hackney carriage licence gives drivers the authority to pick up fares in the street, unlike private hire vehicles which have to be booked.
But hackney carriage owners argue trade is already in decline, apart from on Friday and Saturday nights, and the council has created more cabs to compete for fewer customers.
"This is a 20 per cent increase in the number of hackney carriage vehicles, but there is not 20 per cent more trade," said Rachael McLoughlin, who has run a hackney carriage taxi in Bath for the past seven years.
"Over the past five years, the taxi trade has declined substantially. Higher living costs mean people can't afford to go out as much.
"There is now an excellent bus service for the students in Bath which means we no longer get much trade from them.
"In the seven years I've been a proprietor, there has always been a limit on the number of plates.
"Myself and the other 88 hackney carriage vehicle proprietors are now very concerned that our livelihoods will be compromised by the council granting more licences without knowledge of the current demand."
Mrs McLoughlin added that taxi drivers would be getting together in the next few days to talk about a possible protest.
The Government watchdog, the Office of Fair Trading, has ruled that all restraints on taxi numbers should be lifted.
As a result, the Government has asked all local authorities to review their policies.
But Dave Wilkins, chairman of Bath Spa Taxi Association, which represents 72 taxi drivers, said the council should first have conducted a survey, to follow up one carried out in 1998.
He said: "They have issued 17 plates without the survey. That is what makes it difficult to take on board.
"They have to prove there is an unmet demand for taxis. On Friday and Saturday night nationwide, there are always queues, but there is not an unmet demand as far as we are concerned.
"If the council decides to de-limit, they have to do a survey and we want to know what they are doing. At the moment, they are putting the cart before the horse.
"We were told back in August any decision would be taken in consultation with the trade, but this has not materialised. We have asked for meetings and have not got any, and now it has got to this stage and they have carried on without any consultation."
The association will be writing to every B &NES councillor expressing concern at the move.
Another taxi driver said: "If, after a survey, it was proven that there was a need for more hackney cars, then we would accept the argument.
"But it should be remembered that just because there is a queue for taxis on Saturdays, the answer is not necessarily to issue more plates.
"It should be remembered that the rest of the week it is taxis that are queuing."
The licences were granted by the council's licensing (taxis and private hire) sub-committee.
One of its members, Cllr Bryan Chalker (Con, Lambridge), said the council's hands were tied by legislation.
"If someone comes to us and says there is the demand because the taxi ranks are so busy on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, we cannot disprove it," said Cllr Chalker.
"Under the legislation, if they come to us and fulfil all the criteria, we cannot refuse them a licence.
"But in doing so, we have upset a lot of cabbies. It is a no-win situation.
"In the end, it will come down to market forces. If there is not enough demand, the weak will fall."
Cllr Chalker added that the council hoped to get more wheelchair accessible cabs on to the streets, while at the same time promoting hackney cabs over private hire because they can pick up passengers on the way - meaning fewer people were left waiting and fewer empty taxi journeys.
Seventeen licenses being issued in one week was rare, said Cllr Chalker. The reason behind it was that the number of applicants had built up over previous months and the sub-committee wanted to deal with as many people as possible.
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