Cheshire West and Chester Council rejects taxi survey call from Unite union

COUNCILLORS have rejected a request from the Unite union to assess whether fewer taxis should run in Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Derek Cummins, branch chairman at Unite, wrote a letter calling for Cheshire West and Chester Council to approve an unmet demand survey for taxis in the two towns.

The letter, which was passed on to Labour Cllr Brian Jones, suggested that there was a lack of ranking facilities for taxis in the area and that the taxi trade had suffered from a ‘serious downturn in economic fortunes’ – including a lack of nightlife.

But Mr Cummins insisted the call was not just about restricting the number of drivers in the two towns.

He said: “There is a mistaken belief among the taxi trade, councillors and even licensing officers that a survey is carried out to restrict entry into the trade.

“In fact it is to ascertain the level of provision to the travelling public, rank provisions, present and future economic activity to enable members of licensing committees to make an informed decision.

“It is quite common for a survey to recommend that more licences be issued, not less.”

Local authorities are only required to carry out unmet demand surveys in areas where the number of taxi licences are restricted.

Ellesmere Port and Neston had their restrictions lifted in 2014, and in the four years that have followed there has been a six per cent increase in the number of hackney cabs on the towns’ roads.

Justin Madders, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, wrote about a lack of hackney carriage provision in the area last April.

And at a meeting on Tuesday, members of CWAC’s licensing committee agreed there is no appetite to restrict the number of taxis in the towns.

Cllr Peter Rooney, Labour member for Ledsham and Manor, said: “There really is a problem in Ellesmere Port with getting a taxi.”

Cllr Myles Hogg, Conservative member for Willaston and Thornton, added: “There is a long history in Ellesmere Port of restricting numbers – that was the trade’s desire for many years.

“But there are no restrictions now. The only restriction is the trade itself feeling there is not enough work to be carried out.”

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