Limit on taxi licences in Perth - expanded consultation

Overview

PLEASE NOTE: This consultation is an EXPANSION of a previous consultation in relation to taxi numbers in Perth City.

The legal framework for taxi licensing allows a Council to refuse applications for new licences for the purpose of limiting the number of taxis which can operate in the area (in this case, Perth City). However, it can only do this if it is satisfied that there is no significant demand for taxis which is unmet.

The Council carries out a survey approximately every three years to provide evidence about the level of unmet demand, if any. It may use the outcome of the survey to inform decisions about whether it needs to change the limit on taxi numbers for Perth. Even if the Council were to place a limit on the number of taxis that can operate, it is still possible for a person to apply for a new licence. In that case, the Council would consider the outcome of the survey, along with any other evidence available in relation to demand and any other relevant matter, to make individual decisions about whether there are grounds to refuse an application for a new licence.

At a Licensing Committee Meeting held on 25 March 2025, it was agreed that the Council would consult with the public to see what the next steps might be in relation to how the unmet demand should be addressed.

Perth and Kinross Council held a consultation to hear what members of the public, as well as members of the taxi and private hire trade (also called ‘the Trade’) thought about the options identified in the survey of unmet demand in relation to the number of taxis available in Perth. These options were either to add a further 24 licences to the current limit of 80 or to remove the limit on numbers.

That consultation closed on 16 June 2025.

Why are you asking us to give our views again?

When the initial consultation on the limit on taxi licences in Perth concluded on 16 June 2025, we had received 340 responses submitted via the online consultation, alongside 25 submissions by paper and 13 responses by email. The full contents of those responses will be included in a report submitted to the Licensing Committee at a future date.

We also received feedback from a number of people, particularly those involved in the taxi trade, that a third option in the consultation was desired. The option asked for was that of ‘no change’ to the current limit to taxi licences issued in Perth. Several people also expressed some concern about the survey and the methodology used to conduct it.

Many questions were asked of us regarding the survey, mostly from those involved in the taxi trade. Those questions were answered by the company that conducted the survey, LVSA (Licensed Vehicle Surveys & Assessments) in the form of both an addendum and answers to specific questions which you can read in the Questions and Answers document.

To provide those that wish to submit a response to the consultation but feel that they were unable to do so due to ‘no change’ not being presented as an option, we are expanding the consultation for four more weeks. This will allow those individuals as well as anybody else further time to provide their views and any relevant information and evidence in relation to the conclusions of the survey and whether no change should be made to the current limit on licences.

Given that the Council has commissioned a survey which indicates that there is a significant demand which is unmet, the purpose of this further period is to give people an opportunity to provide further views in relation to the survey of unmet demand and if they disagree with its findings, an opportunity to explain their basis for disagreeing with them. It will provide an opportunity to include any evidence or other information to support those views, which the Council can consider when deciding whether to accept the findings in the survey in relation to the level of unmet demand.

People will still also be able to make comment on the two options previously consulted on if they have not already done so.

For assistance, we have summarised below the background information in relation to taxi licensing which was included in the original consultation.

If I already completed a consultation on the Limit on taxis licences in Perth do I need to complete the consultation again?

If you have already responded to the previous consultation that response will still count and will be included in our report to the Licensing Committee. If you would like to submit further information you may complete this additional consultation as well.

What is this consultation about?

This consultation is regarding taxis only and is regarding the number of licences that are issued for taxis in Perth.

What is the difference between a taxi and a private hire?

The difference between a taxi and a private hire is how they are hired:

• Only a taxi can be hailed on the street or from a taxi rank
• Private hires must be booked in advance through a licensed operator or an app. Taxis may also be booked this way.

Taxis are the only vehicles that someone can hail on the street or from a taxi rank.

Currently, there is a limit on the number of taxi licences and that limit is 80. This limit is also called a ‘cap’. This does not necessarily mean that there will always, or ever, be 80 taxis available to the public at any one time. Instead, this is just the number of licences issued in total by the Council.

Taxis do not have to operate on any specific days, at any specific times, or at all.

In fact, taxis do not have to operate as taxis at all—they could operate as private hires whenever they want to or they may be contracted to work specific routes at specific times.

Why are we asking about this?

We want to find out what the public and the Trade think about the number of licences that are issued for taxis in Perth. We are also including some additional questions to find out what sort of vehicles you would prefer to see for any new taxi licences which are allowed, for example, wheelchair accessible vehicles or electric vehicles.

Perth and Kinross Council has a policy of limiting the number of taxi licences issued. This can only be done if the Council is satisfied that there is no significant unmet demand for taxis. The Council reviews this around every three years.

As part of this process, a company was hired to complete a survey to see if the public demand for taxis was being met. This is called an 'Unmet Demand Survey'. You can read more about the results of that survey in the resulting report. An addendum to the report was subsequently issued.

The most important points of the report and the addendum are summarised below:

• The amount of time passengers had to wait for a taxi in 2024 was significantly greater than in 2017 (which was pre-pandemic).
• Disabled passengers, especially wheelchair users, continue to face increased difficulties.
• There is a significant demand for the services of taxis in Perth that is not met (this is an ‘unmet demand’).
• The limit or cap on the number of taxis should be increased by 24 to meet the demand.
• If the limit or cap is increased to allow such large a number as 24 new taxi licences to be issued, it is also worth considering whether there is a realistic difference between that and removing the limit or cap altogether (making the number of licences available ‘unlimited’).

Why your views matter

The Council will make a decision at a future meeting of the Licensing Committee about whether to accept the outcomes of the survey of unmet demand.

In addition, any change to the current limit on taxi numbers will have an impact on people who currently have a taxi as well as the public.

This is why we are asking the taxi trade as well as members of the public to make their preference known by completing this short consultation. If you disagree with the outcome of the survey of unmet demand, we are asking for information and evidence to be submitted which has informed your view We are making sure everyone's voice is heard before a decision is made about which option the Council should adopt.

What happens next

Feedback from this consultation will be used, along with other information collected, to prepare a report to the Licensing Committee. The Licensing Committee makes decisions on how many additional taxi licences will be made available, as well any other restrictions on vehicle types.