A Dundee taxi operator says he is “absolutely delighted” after the city’s licensing committee agreed to defer its decision on controversial proposals that have caused heated debate among cab drivers.
Doug Martin of Tay Taxis made the comment after councillors narrowly voted, four to three, not to press ahead with recommendations put before them in a report by the local authority.
In the document, two options were put forward for consideration, the first of which proposed the reintroduction on a limit on the number of taxis in the city.
The proposal also makes clear that vehicles should have wheelchair access.
The second option involves keeping the existing policy and also requires all vehicles to have wheelchair access.
Chairman of the licensing committee Rod Wallace agreed to listen to deputations from a number of bodies representing local opinion.
Erik Thoresen, from the Dundee Hackney Association, said he was in favour of option one.
“We welcome this report and feel it is a long time coming,” he said. “We would like to get rid of the discrimination of wheelchair vehicles. It’s time to move forward and make progress on this.
“We need to make a commitment to the disabled and the people of Dundee and give the best possible service.
“The taxi industry has changed. There are no longer queues of people waiting at the ranks and what option one will give the trade a breathing space.”
But the Dundee Taxi Association (DTA), which claimed it was not given enough time to consider the report, did not share this view.
Graeme Stephen of the DTA warned councillors that a number of city drivers could find themselves out of a job if plans to enforce wheelchair accessible vehicles on Dundee’s roads are given the green light.Discussion needed”I think it would be better to put a hold on this until further consultation can be carried out with various taxi groups,” he said. “Around £6-9 million will be lost to the Dundee economy because vehicles would have to be sourced from Glasgow.
“There is an awful lot more discussion that needs to be done on this and I would ask the council not to make a decision on this today.”
Dundee has a mix of vehicles suitable for all types of passenger. Those who stand against plans for phasing out saloon cars say that it will actually discriminate against a number of city residents, particularly the elderly and walking disabled.
Jan Goodall from the Dundee Celebrate Age Network, and convener of its transport group, said she did not want every cab in the city to have wheelchair access.
“Almost 45% of the city’s taxis are wheelchair accessible with around 6% wheelchair users in the population,” she said. “I ask you to think about other disabled people and the elderly — the so-called ‘accessible’ taxis are not for them.”
Meanwhile Dave Young, chief executive of the taxi operator 20 30 20, said he supported option two before going on to plead with the committee not to reintroduce a cap on taxi numbers.
“I never thought I would say what I am about to say but I told my drivers with wheelchair-accessible vehicles that whatever the job is, they do it,” he told the committee.
“Then some started making excuses and dodged these fares. I told them that if this continued I would report them to the council myself. Nine members of staff left a few weeks later.
“Ninety per cent of wheelchair work in Dundee is done by my office. I never thought I would see the day when people would rather work on the street so that they can dodge wheelchair calls.”
Committee chairman Mr Wallace said maintaining the status quo was “not an option.”
He moved to adopt option one as a “way forward” and he hoped progress could be made as quickly as possible.
However four of the seven councillors moved against this motion on the grounds that additional information must be submitted and to give various groups more time to consider the options.