JUST 278 licensed taxis are operating in Jersey as of this year, the JEP can reveal today – a significantly lower number than the 310 target set by the government.
It comes just weeks after a freedom-of-information request revealed that the number of licensed drivers in the Island has fallen from 488 in 2014 to 363 in 2023.
It also showed that, of the 220 plates held by individuals, 66% were over the age of 60 and 28% were over the age of 70. Only 30 drivers were under 50 and only seven were under the age of 40.
In a statement, the government told the JEP that while the number of plates and drivers had fallen in recent years, both were beginning to recover, with 45 new drivers having joined since January, representing a 12.5% increase so far in 2024. It said the number of PSV badge holders had now risen to 403.
“Following a significant drop in the number of taxi plates during Covid, we are also now starting to see an increase in uptake for taxi plates,” said Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan.
Fears of an increasing scarcity of taxis on the Island’s roads have been growing for nearly ten years after the government launched the Taxi Reform Programme in 2015. As of February 2023, the government said that the programme was “in progress [with] no fixed completion date”.
Among the concerns about the taxi industry is not just the availability of licences, but the significant barriers to entry including an annual minimum mileage of 19,100 miles, and the requirement that vehicles must be either electric, a multi-seater, or wheelchair accessible.
Drivers are also required to spend 18 months driving for a registered company to attain their licence.
Commenting on the requirements, Mr Jehan said: “It is important that appropriate checks are undertaken on individuals who wish to obtain a PSV badge, in order to ensure that drivers and plate holders are of good character, medically fit and have a suitable knowledge of the Island.”
The government confirmed that, at present, only 40 of the Island’s 278 cabs are wheelchair accessible, compared to 54% of all of the UK’s 313,008 licensed taxis and private-hire vehicles and 100% of all licensed taxis in London. In the UK, the total number of drivers has increased by 10% since last year.
A report on the Island’s taxi service carried out by the Policy Review think-tank in May also uncovered other barriers to entry into the industry, including the difficulty of the driver and knowledge tests that drivers must pass in order to obtain their licence. In a subsequent discussion, members of the public said that regulations from Driving and Vehicle Standards were overcomplicated, and complained that the only way to get information out of the department was to lodge FoI requests.
Unlike in the UK, ride-sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft do not operate in Jersey, although there are three app-based taxi booking services: Jersey Taxi App, Yellow Cabs and Ryde.
Ryde was launched in October last year by two former De La Salle students, Charlie Petulla and Harry Sheldon, promising to offer cheaper rates than regular taxis, with fares from St Helier to the Airport priced at around £20.
Jersey Lifts Facebook group – where users request transport from other users and often agree a price informally – has tens of thousands of members and is widely used by Islanders.
