The present situation with regard to Jersey Lifts is that they are against the law as it stands, but the law has not kept pace with these changes. Clearly there are times when demand greatly exceeds supply of rank cabs – witness the needs for queue marshals at the Weighbridge.
In straightforward economic terms, Jersey Lifts highlights that there is either a problem with supply (not enough rank cabs) or price, or both. Deputy Eddie Noel, Minister for Infrastructure, gave in his letter published in the JEP on 13 January a list of taxi improvements he was putting in hand. That list made two serious omissions: 1) The need to take account of the Channel Islands Competition and Regulatory Authorities’ recommendation that the cap on numbers of taxis be abolished and 2) The desirable need for rank cabs to be low-emission vehicles. Until these and other matters are addressed by Deputy Noel the ‘need’ for Jersey Lifts is unlikely to diminish.
