Dundee licensing committee has put its foot down in its bid to reduce taxi numbers in the city by refusing 17 new applications.
The unsuccessful applicants pleaded for leniency at Thursday’s meeting because their bids were received before the committee decided to cap numbers at 611 and not grant any further requests.
Their bids had not cleared the administrative process including confirmation of no police objections by the cap date of June 27, however, and the councillors ruled they could not proceed.
Taxi boss Davie Young spoke for four of the applicants and urged councillors to be less strict.
He said his 203020 company had been at the forefront of introducing wheelchair access cabs to the city and the drivers he spoke for would put on more of these vehicles.
He alleged that other operators who also put on wheelchair access vehicles were ignoring their responsibility by not accepting disabled passengers, but the drivers he spoke for were different.
Other applicants spoke of the money they had invested in their vehicles and taxi driving providing them with employment from which they could make a real contribution to the Dundee economy.
Licensing convener Stewart Hunter said a policy had been agreed and a start had to be made to restricting numbers.
The committee agreed in June to cap taxi numbers in the city for the first time in almost a decade.
A survey was conducted revealing “no significant unmet demand” for taxis in Dundee, and councillors unanimously agreed to limit the number to 661.
There were 674 taxi licences in operation in the city with five temporary licences and that figure is being reduced through natural wastage, with no new licences being granted until the numbers fall below 611.
Once that lower limit has been breached, a further survey will be held.
Legislation demands that an annual “top-up” survey must also be held to determine whether the figure is still appropriate for the city’s needs.