TONBRIDGE & MALLING: CALLS TO CAP CABBIE NUMBERS
ROUND THE COUNCILS BARNSLEY:
NO INCREASE ON HACKNEY LIMIT
Taxi drivers who say they are having to work longer hours to make ends meet have seen their calls for a cap on cabbie numbers refused. Unlike most of its neighbours, Tonbridge does not limit the number of taxis it licenses but as a conse- quence some cabbies say there are too many taxis in town and spend too long on the rank waiting for fares. At present there are 173 licensed hackney carriage vehicles - slightly fewer than there was pre-Covid (179). Over the years, the figure has remained stable - but had been as high as 180 a decade ago in 2014. However, Anthony Garnett, the licensing manager for Tonbridge and Malling council, said there was anecdotal evidence some drivers were working longer hours, which could have the effect of making more taxis available at any one time. There has also been a change over time with more drivers holding dual licences. In 2014, there were 169 HC drivers and 112 dual drivers, making 281 in total. Today, there are 61 HC drivers and 197 dual drivers making 258 in total. A council can only limit taxi numbers if it can show there is no “unmet demand” for taxis. An unmet demand survey is expensive but the cost is borne by the drivers themselves, who have it added to their licence fee. A rough estimate was that it would cost each of them £40. In a quick electronic poll by the council, 35 drivers said they would want such a survey to be carried out. But that was from 261 polled and so represented only 13%. The vast majority - 80% - did not respond at all. If a cap were imposed, by law the unmet demand survey would have to be repeated every three years. The council’s licensing committee agreed with Con Cllr Martin Coffin’s proposal that no action be taken and that Tonbridge should remain without a cap on the number of taxis. However, one of the 49 taxi drivers who had signed a petition calling for a cap on numbers made their feelings known afterwards. He said: “They don’t seem to realise that our work has halved since Covid, with so many people working from home and choosing not to go out. Drivers have to work extra hours just to get a decent wage. I used to work until 4pm, now I’m out till midnight or 2am. “There are now too many drivers chasing too little work. Tonbridge has licensed 173 vehicles, but Tunbridge Wells has capped theirs at 107 and Tonbridge is dead at night!”
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Barnsley Council will not increase the limit on the number of hackney carriages despite there being an ‘unmet demand’, a report has revealed. Each year, the council undertakes a demand survey to accurately assess the availability of taxis in the town centre. There are currently 67 HCs in Barnsley. A survey of the demand was carried out in September, as well as a survey of taxi ranks, with 24-hour observations and counts on the main ranks from Thursday until Sunday. The report states: “There is an issue in getting drivers to work during the busiest late night and early morning periods. This is recognised by the trade, however, many drivers don’t want to work these hours due to safety issues and dealing with difficult customers. “Seven per cent said they avoided times there might be drunken, violent or abusive customers.” Taxi marshals were also questioned. “Their view was that though there was queuing, particularly with their presence, there was no significant risk to public safety and people were generally content to wait and happy to be able to return home,” the report added. “They did not feel there was any shortage of vehicles on any night. The small number of incidents reported, however,
confirmed that the presence of the
marshals was critical to making the operation work in a safe and secure manner.” The council said: “Any increase in hackney licences may not make any impact on specific times i.e. Saturday nights, as we cannot issue licences with restricted usage times. It could see a shift from PH drivers to hackney vehicles without increasing supply, or potentially lead to over-supply in general, reducing the income to existing drivers and potentially pushing out some drivers who do operate on Saturday nights. “There has recently been a fare increase of 30p on the flag and 30p on the mile thereafter plus the intro- duction of a super tariff of a 30p increase on the flag and mile thereafter after 1am on Sunday mornings. “Despite there being significant unmet demand, we would not introduce more HCV licences at this time, however, there will be a repeated full survey with rank surveys no later than March 2025.” The council is also set to accept £173,500 from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority as part of a pilot scheme to introduce CCTV in taxis. It’s hoped this funding will increase driver and passenger safety, with drivers more willing to partake in late night shifts.
MAY 2024 PHTM
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