Taxi Liaison Group - 24/10/2005

At a MEETING of the TAXI LIAISON GROUP held at Dundee on 24th October, 2005.

Present:-

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES

Lord Provost John R LETFORD

BAILIE

Bruce MACKIE

COUNCILLORS

TAXI TRADE REPRESENTATIVES

George HARRIS, Tay Taxis

Graeme STEPHEN, Dundee Taxi Association

Chris ELDER, Transport and General Workers Union

Peter LONGMUIR, Transport and General Workers Union

Erik THORESEN, Dundee Wheelchair Taxi Association

Philip TAYLOR, Dundee Wheelchair Taxi Association

John CURRAN, Tele Taxis

James MORRISON, Dundee Taxi Association

Jim PETTICREW, Dundee Taxi Association

TAYSIDE POLICE REPRESENTATIVES

Rod MOFFAT, Tayside Police

Alec SELFRIDGE, Tayside Police

OFFICERS

Stuart GALLOWAY, Principal General Services Officer

Brian WOODCOCK, Senior Solicitor

Iain SHERRIFF, Roads and Transportation

Mark DEVINE, Roads and Transportation

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Bailie John Corrigan and Councillors Julia Sturrock, Fiona Grant, Joe Morrow, Willie Sawers, Liz Fordyce, Rod Wallace and Bill McIntosh, Scottish Taxi Federation, David Young 203020 and Steve Cashley, 505050 Taxis.

Bailie MACKIE, in the Chair.

I CHAIRS REMARKS

The Chair advised that the membership of the Taxi Liaison Group would be reviewed.

II TAXI FARES

The Group gave consideration to a report by the Director of Planning and Transportation on the review of taxi fares following the failure of the taxi trade to agree unanimously on the new fares structure which had been proposed and negotiated with the Council previously with representatives of the taxi trade.

Iain Sherriff spoke to the report advising that the increase at this time would offer parity with that allocated to other public transport providers within the City and that negotiations would thereafter commence to establish a mechanism with the trade for future fare increases with a view to the fares getting closer to the average for comparable authorities within 3 years as opposed to the 6 years envisaged by the Trade. In the meantime the representatives of the Trade were reminded that they had the option to request consideration of a further fares increase should fuel prices reach a level where this would be required. Members of the Taxi Trade present indicated that the proposed increases would not be acceptable to them or their members and proposed instead that (a) the initial charge of 2.20 for the first 704 yards be increased to 2.40; (b) the mileage thereafter be charged at 1.10 per mile instead of 1.00 per mile at the moment; and (c) the unsocial payment of 60p from 10.00pm Friday until 6.00am Sunday be increased to 80p.

The representatives of the Trade at the meeting were reminded that the fares increase for 2005 was already late and that if there was further delay on the submission of the report to a meeting of the Licensing Committee that this would have further implications for their members. Their proposals would nonetheless be examined by officers of Planning and Transportation and they would be included in the report to the next meeting of the Licensing Committee when the Review of Taxi Fares would be considered.

III DATE OF NEXT MEETING

To be advised.

Bruce D MACKIE, Convener.