Taxi trade survey 'flawed' (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Southampton taxi chiefs hit out at £15K transport review

1:30pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in Hampshire Business By Matt Smith, Politics and business reporter

Taxi trade survey 'flawed'

Taxi trade leaders have called a survey that could flood Southampton with more cabs “flawed”.

Trade representatives have spoken out as consultants prepare to release the findings of a review into the number of hail and ride cabs in the city. They fear more taxis will make it even harder for struggling cabbies to make ends meet.

Transport consultants Halcrow have been paid £15,000 to recommend whether or not a limit of 282 Hackney Carriages in the city should be raised.

Three years ago the council agreed to issue 19 more lucrative taxi licences – worth up to £35,000 on the open market – in a controversial secret lottery exposed by the Daily Echo.

But trade bodies said the findings of the latest survey will be skewed because it was carried out before the last eight new plates were issued in December.

Perry McMillan, from the taxi section of the Unite union asked: “Why commission a survey out on the streets throughout November, if you’re not going to take account of the impact of eight more plates going on in December?” he said.

“If they had held off until April or May at least it would have been a true reflection of things. The whole survey is flawed,” he said.

Ian Hall, chairman of the Hackney Carriage Association, said: “As far as we’re concerned the survey wasn’t done correctly. We will challenge the findings.

“We don’t need any more cars with drivers struggling in the worst recession we’ve had since the 1930s. We need more taxi ranks.”

But Clive Johnson, chairman of the Southampton Trade Association, which has around 450 members including 100 Hackney Carriage drivers, said: “I don't believe we should be jumping up and down before we get the result in.

"The way the economy is I can't believe there is a shortage of taxis. There is a shortage of customers. I'm confident the findings will show there is no unmet demand for taxis.”

Under Government guidelines Southampton City Council must show that retaining a limit on the number of taxis in the city benefits customers.

The number of licensed private hire vehicles – more than 550 - is not limited.

Council leader Royston Smith said: “These independent reports need to be undertaken every three years by councils which have limited taxi plates to see whether those limits are still the right number. Any criticism of this report is bizarre as we have not even seen the findings yet.

“Of course this report will take into account all of the relevant factors including the current increase in plates since the last review.”

The findings of the Halcrow review will be put before councillors later this year to decide whether to issue more licences.