Taxi plan backed

Tim Grogan, licensing officer at Selby District Council, said deregulation had worked there, and he called on York to follow suit.

Deregulation hit the headlines last week, when it emerged City of York Council was considering lifting its present limit on the number of hackney licences it issues.

The Government is opposed to such restrictions, and if the council needs to provide clear reasons for keeping them.

Mr Grogan said deregulating had been a big success in Selby.

He said there had been "a bit of outcry" at the time, but said: "It's the best thing that ever happened to Selby. I think York would benefit from it. The one thing it does cut is this profiteering. When these plates were given out years and years ago, there was no money in them."

Mr Grogan took up his post three years ago, and said: "We had problems in Selby, as we had complaints from the MP that there were not enough taxis. We had a waiting list, and plates were changing hands for £8,000 to £10,000. We had about 23 vehicles when I came, and we had one guy with seven plates."

He said those 23 were not meeting demand, adding: "We deregulated and we have come up to 46 - so we have basically doubled."

He said Selby had 19 hackney cabs from 1979 to 1999, but due to complaints of a shortage the council licensed a further two each year until eventually deciding to deregulate entirely.

City of York Council is currently carrying out a consultation on deregulation. York Taxi Association, which represents the hackney industry, and York Private Hire Association have both spoken against deregulation, citing concerns over congestion and pollution, and warning there would be a surplus of taxis.

But individual private hire drivers have come out in favour, saying all taxi drivers should be on an equal footing.

The Press revealed last week that the council had a waiting list of 144 for hackney licences, and plates originally issued for free were changing hands for as much as £60,000 a time.