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Taxi drivers passed the petition in to the council last week <\/p>\nAccording to council papers published ahead of a meeting of the Regulatory Committee on Friday, council officers have completed a procurement process for a survey of taxi demand.<\/p>\n
Conducted every three years, the survey aims to evaluate the demand for taxi services in the city, in order to ensure enough taxi licences are available.<\/p>\n
At present, there is a limit of 1,316 licences in the city, with 1,105 in use \u2013 meaning 211 are available to be granted to new drivers.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s last review of the number of licences found that there was not an overprovision of taxi licences in the city.<\/p>\n
It comes as taxi drivers have raised concerns about the numbers and safety of rideshare and other private hire cars in the city.<\/p>\n
Taxi drivers passed the petition in to the council last week <\/p>\n
Last month, a petition with over 1,200 valid signatures calling for a cap to be placed on the number of private hire cars in the city was handed in to the council by city cab drivers.<\/p>\n
The petition is now set to be considered at Friday\u2019s meeting, where councillors have the power to take action on the petition if they think it is warranted.<\/p>\n
It was launched as a result of concerns over the sustainability of the taxi field in the face of rideshare companies like Uber and Bolt, which can charge lower fares than the regulated ones in taxis.<\/p>\n
There are around 3,000 private hire cars in the city, many working for rideshare firms like Uber and Bolt.<\/p>\n
Keith Auld, a city black cab driver and organiser of the petition, said: \u201cIt\u2019s a risk to our livelihoods because there\u2019s too many cars chasing the same jobs. Ultimately, something\u2019s going to have to give.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m all for working in harmony with private hire. But there needs to be a balance \u2013 we are now beyond the tipping point, we need the cap to be applied to give us a chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe numbers speak for themselves, they\u2019re almost treble our taxis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taxi drivers also raised concerns about the safety of private hires in the city, with worries that some drivers might be pulling extremely long hours to make ends meet.<\/p>\n
Jamie Stalker, secretary of Edinburgh\u2019s Unite taxi drivers\u2019 branch, said last month: \u201cThe safety aspect of what\u2019s going on in the city just now \u2013 there\u2019s so many private hires out there.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd because they\u2019re not making a decent living, they\u2019re working anywhere up to 10 to 15, 16, 17 hours every day. That\u2019s dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cUber has got a thing on their app where they can log them off after 10 hours of working, but then all they do is just jump on to another app, or go and work for one of the local private hire companies, so there\u2019s no control.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been lucky that there hasn\u2019t been a major car accident, or somebody falling asleep at the wheel, that sort of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bolt told the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the time that their service was not meant to supplant black taxis, and that their drivers earned the national minimum wage.<\/p>\n
And both Bolt and Uber said their drivers were entitled to holiday pay and a pension.<\/p>\n
Edinburgh Council last considered whether a cap on the number of private hire cars in the city was needed in 2022, as part of a survey commissioned in 2019.<\/p>\n
In February 2023, the Regulatory Committee agreed, based on the survey results and stakeholder consultation, that no cap on private hire cars was needed.<\/p>\n
The city also reports the number of private hire cars to councillors every year, with the last notification coming in January of this year.<\/p>\n
Last month, Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross, convener of the Regulatory Committee, said: \u201cWe regularly review the number of PHCs in the city, most recently in January 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have received a petition on this issue, and it will be addressed under the Council\u2019s petition process.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Council maintains regular contact with the relevant trade groups and will continue to listen to their broader feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n
The number of taxi licences in Edinburgh is set to be reviewed as a council committee considers a petition by cabbies to limit the amount of private hire cars on the streets.<\/p>\n
According to council papers published ahead of a meeting of the Regulatory Committee on Friday, council officers have completed a procurement process for a survey of taxi demand.<\/p>\n
Conducted every three years, the survey aims to evaluate the demand for taxi services in the city, in order to ensure enough taxi licences are available.<\/p>\n
At present, there is a limit of 1,316 licences in the city, with 1,105 in use \u2013 meaning 211 are available to be granted to new drivers.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s last review of the number of licences found that there was not an overprovision of taxi licences in the city.<\/p>\n
It comes as taxi drivers have raised concerns about the numbers and safety of rideshare and other private hire cars in the city.<\/p>\n
Last month, a petition with over 1,200 valid signatures calling for a cap to be placed on the number of private hire cars in the city was handed in to the council by city cab drivers.<\/p>\n
The petition is now set to be considered at Friday\u2019s meeting, where councillors have the power to take action on the petition if they think it is warranted.<\/p>\n
It was launched as a result of concerns over the sustainability of the taxi field in the face of rideshare companies like Uber and Bolt, which can charge lower fares than the regulated ones in taxis.<\/p>\n
There are around 3,000 private hire cars in the city, many working for rideshare firms like Uber and Bolt.<\/p>\n
Keith Auld, a city black cab driver and organiser of the petition, said: \u201cIt\u2019s a risk to our livelihoods because there\u2019s too many cars chasing the same jobs. Ultimately, something\u2019s going to have to give.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m all for working in harmony with private hire. But there needs to be a balance \u2013 we are now beyond the tipping point, we need the cap to be applied to give us a chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe numbers speak for themselves, they\u2019re almost treble our taxis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taxi drivers also raised concerns about the safety of private hires in the city, with worries that some drivers might be pulling extremely long hours to make ends meet.<\/p>\n
Jamie Stalker, secretary of Edinburgh\u2019s Unite taxi drivers\u2019 branch, said last month: \u201cThe safety aspect of what\u2019s going on in the city just now \u2013 there\u2019s so many private hires out there.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd because they\u2019re not making a decent living, they\u2019re working anywhere up to 10 to 15, 16, 17 hours every day. That\u2019s dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cUber has got a thing on their app where they can log them off after 10 hours of working, but then all they do is just jump on to another app, or go and work for one of the local private hire companies, so there\u2019s no control.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been lucky that there hasn\u2019t been a major car accident, or somebody falling asleep at the wheel, that sort of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bolt told the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the time that their service was not meant to supplant black taxis, and that their drivers earned the national minimum wage.<\/p>\n
And both Bolt and Uber said their drivers were entitled to holiday pay and a pension.<\/p>\n
Edinburgh Council last considered whether a cap on the number of private hire cars in the city was needed in 2022, as part of a survey commissioned in 2019.<\/p>\n
In February 2023, the Regulatory Committee agreed, based on the survey results and stakeholder consultation, that no cap on private hire cars was needed.<\/p>\n
The city also reports the number of private hire cars to councillors every year, with the last notification coming in January of this year.<\/p>\n
Last month, Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross, convener of the Regulatory Committee, said: \u201cWe regularly review the number of PHCs in the city, most recently in January 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have received a petition on this issue, and it will be addressed under the Council\u2019s petition process.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Council maintains regular contact with the relevant trade groups and will continue to listen to their broader feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter<\/p>\n