A Dundee taxi association has said the perfect Christmas present for many drivers would be the collapse of the council’s taxi marshal scheme.
The scheme has proved hugely controversial, claiming cash from each of the city’s 1,300 or so drivers months before it could be delivered.
And just three weeks after its introduction, the new taxi marshals, which have been provided by a security firm, have made more than 100 complaints about drivers to Dundee City Council.
While the enforcement action has been welcomed by the Dundee Taxi Association, other groups in the city believe that has only served to highlight the scheme’s flaws.
Eric Thoresen, chairman of the Dundee Hackney Association, has been against the scheme from the outset, believing it is unfair that law-abiding drivers have had to pay to solve problems being caused by a minority of colleagues.
In the three weeks since the scheme was finally introduced focusing on the Westport and Hawkhill areas and G Casino in particular he said he had seen nothing to convince him of its value.
Mr Thoresen, however, said: “I still cannot understand why there are taxi marshals at this location,” he said.
“There are five or six main arterial routes coming together in this area and a wealth of pubs and venues and it is inevitable that taxis will be picking up all over the place.
“People put out their hands and they expect drivers to stop.
“No taxi driver will do anything different not even those who are attempting to paint themselves as whiter than white.
“You have to know the taxi trade and the people hired as marshals simply don’t have any experience of it.
“We suggest the council bin the scheme. We don’t want it.
“I know many taxi drivers who are wishing for this scheme to fail.”
Dundee City Council introduced two taxi marshals to ease reported taxi problems around the G Casino.
Issues include taxis ignoring the rank queues and stopping on zig-zag lines at the nearby pedestrian crossing.
The new marshals have made 100 complaints in just three weeks alleging breaches by taxi drivers, which will be investigated by the council.
Drivers could be referred to the licensing committee and even have their licences suspended.
Dundee City Council intend to run the scheme for 18 months before a review.