Issuing of taxi plates (FOI)

Request

A

In the response to a previous Freedom of Information (FOI) request published at the following link:

Issuing of taxi plates (FOI)

DVS asserts that the number of plates in circulation is adequate, and references the Taxi regulation review, at the link below:

Taxi Regulation Review.

However, this report (released in February 2014), recommended increasing the number of plates in circulation by 10% per year, for at least three years, followed by a review.

‘Taxi Regulation Review: 5.3.6 Taxi numbers should be allowed to expand by 10% per year in each of the first three years following new regulations being introduced, after which there should be a review of how these changes have affected the taxi market before further taxi licences are issued.’

In the three years that followed, rather than increase the number of plates, DVS has reduced the number of plates from 312 (in 2014) to 298 (in 2017). Had the recommendations of the report been followed, there should have been 415 plates in circulation in 2017.

Other recommendations from this review have been implemented (or are in the process of being implemented), such as the introduction of a single-tier system. On what basis was the decision not to implement this recommendation made?

Please provide copies of any relevant data or analysis not included in this report.

B

Please provide a breakdown of the ages of individuals on the waiting list for a plate, broken down into the following brackets: 21 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 64, 65 to 69, 70 to 79, 80+

C

How many current plate holders are of retirement age (65 or older)?

D

Please provide a breakdown of the current number of plates, by plate colour.

Response

A

The response to the previous FOI request referenced above contained links to two consultation pages on the Government of Jersey Website. It appears that the final recommendations report had been omitted from these pages. This report has now been added.

Section 5.2.4 of the report states:

‘Although availability of taxis has been identified as an issue in a limited number of specific circumstances, these being:

• late night availability

• availability in rural areas

• availability of accessible vehicles

in general there is not a significant amount of unmet demand. Consequently, it is not proposed that additional white or yellow plates are issued for the time being. Depending upon how rapidly a single taxi class can be introduced, the quantity limit should be reviewed two years afterwards. Appropriate monitoring will be required during this period to enable an informed assessment of the impact of the changes on taxi availability. Meanwhile, the so-called ‘deferred list’ – an ad hoc arrangement whereby those on the waiting list can postpone taking up a licence offer, should be discontinued.”

Given this recommendation it was considered that plate numbers were sufficient and that once the other reform changes had a chance to take effect then the situation could be reviewed.

B

The table below represents a breakdown of numbers of Individuals on the waiting list by age:

C

The number of plate holders aged 65 and over is 107

D

The table below represents the number of plates by colour: