EAST AYRSHIRE:
ROUND THE COUNCILS EAST DEVON:
KNOWLEDGE AND WAV REVIEW
A local taxi operator has issued a warning that red tape imposed by East Ayrshire Council is deterring new drivers and jeopardising services such as school runs, night-time safety, and the future of WAVs. Ross Gilmour, boss of Thistle Cabs, made a strongly worded submission to the council’s licensing panel, alleging a dramatic drop in new applications, attributing the decline to a compulsory street- knowledge test and stricter medical checks. He also criticised the council’s decision to limit attempts at the £30 test, calling it something that “beggars belief” given modern navigation technology. While Gilmour claimed a “particularly low” pass rate for the knowledge test, council officials have refuted this, reporting 64 successful applications out of 83 since its reintroduction in early 2024. Gilmour was equally critical of mandatory medical assessments, particularly as “neighbouring authorities had not taken the same route,” creating a “postcode lottery” for drivers. He also highlighted “a minimum 28-day wait” for successful applicants to receive their licences, a delay he found “astounding.” Further compounding frustrations is the temporary relocation of Kilmarnock’s main taxi rank, which Gilmour says has led to a “cut in a vital revenue stream for drivers already struggling with spiralling costs.” The financial strain of maintaining WAVs, with new models costing around £60,000, is becoming “impossible for many.” Gilmour concluded: “A lack of drivers means lack of income, means a lack of investment, which leads to lack of quality.” He urged councillors to scrap the route test, drop the medical requirement and restore the taxi rank to its original location. The council’s Licensing Panel met on June 19, where it was agreed: l to retain the current policy of requiring 25% of the taxi fleet to be WAVs and that the policy be subject to further review in 18 months’ time
l to undertake a review of the policy requiring applicants for taxi and private hire driver licences to undergo a topographical knowledge test
l undertake a review of the policy requiring all taxi and private hire drivers to be medically assessed to DVLA Group 2 standards.
l that the review should consist of a survey question- naire to all taxi and private hire car operators.
40 RESPONSE RATE STALLS FARE OVERHAUL
Plans to introduce a more precise method for calculating maximum taxi fares in East Devon have been stalled due to a dismal response rate from local hackney carriage drivers. Only six out of 135 licensed drivers participated in a district council survey designed to gather crucial data for future fare adjustments. This poor engagement means the council will revert to its existing, less accurate methodology for setting potential 2025 maximum fare levels, relying on inflation and comparisons with other councils. The council had hoped to adopt the “Guildford method,” a data-driven approach designed to ensure fare changes more accurately reflect the realities faced by taxi drivers. However, without sufficient input from the trade, this move has been put on hold. “It’s slightly ironic because over time we have been trying to make our methodology as accurate, useful and helpful for the trade as possible, but the trade hasn’t responded,” commented Cllr Joe Whibley, chair of the council’s licensing and enforcement committee. “So, what we’re [essentially] doing is making it even simpler than before and less accurate and less meeting the needs of drivers, but that’s where we are.” Anecdotal evidence suggests some drivers felt last year's 10 per cent fare increase was sufficient, despite the East Devon Taxi Association having sought a 15 per cent rise. Other concerns included potential misuse of the data – though the council stressed it would only be for fare setting – and the costs and time associated with recalibrating meters for new maximum fares. East Devon's taxi fares already rank 32nd out of 341 local authorities. The current two-mile fare on tariff one in East Devon stands at £8.69, significantly higher than the national average of £7.30. Cllr Olly Davey underscored the importance of reliable information, stating: "With accurate data it should come out with a really good formula, but I don't think we should do it with poor quality data." Despite the setback, the council has vowed a "concerted effort" to gather more data from drivers over the next year, with the aim of reconsidering the Guildford method for future fare reviews. Proposed maximum fares and charges for 2025 will be brought back to the committee later this year and will be subject to a 14-day public consultation.
JULY 2025 PHTM
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