Private hire cars 'decimating' taxi trade in Edinburgh as bitter row continues

A bitter dispute between private hire drivers and the black cab trade continued as the lack of a cap on the number of private hire licences was described as “decimating” the taxi trade.

Following pressure from critics within the taxi trade, Edinburgh City Council’s Regulatory Committee voted for a survey to be undertaken on potential overprovision.

Jacqueline Dunn, speaking on behalf of the Edinburgh Cab Branch of Unite, labelled uncontrolled growth in the number of private hire drivers as “hypocritical” alongside the council’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Addressing the committee, she said: “This is decimating the taxi trade and it is limiting the ability for us to compete due to predatory pricing and surging, and is not ensuring the needs of the customer from safety to price.

“We are seeing a drop in the number of taxi drivers not renewing their licence with a loss of 185 drivers in the last year due to increasing private hire car numbers and the extortionate running costs of putting a taxi on the circuit.”

Ms Dunn also accused Uber for wanting to rid the city of the black cab trade.

She said: “This wilful act of systematic decimation of a long established taxi trade in Edinburgh is happening by allowing an unprecedented number of private hire cars to work for Uber.

“We have our own language, rituals and code of conduct but we have always served the city, it’s citizens and visitors.”

Kevin Woodburn, who spoke for the Private Hire Drivers’ Association, said: “We have a view coming from a particular element of the taxi trade, not the entire taxi trade, and it seems to be focusing on a situation where we have too much competition in the marketplace for their liking.

“That, to me, is how this has all panned out. Is this so-called allegation going on because there are too many private hire cars or indeed it is because there are not enough black taxis out there working the streets when they should be.”

Matthew Eastwood, of Uber Scotland, added: “Our experience is that the private hire car market in Edinburgh is significantly undersupplied for the demand that we see for.

“Uber’s view is that the council should not restrict numbers as such a restriction would be bad for the city’s residents and visitors, bad for competition, and could potentially have significant safety implications.”

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