Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles

HC Deb 10 November 1987 vol 122 cc124-5W

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each year since 1970 the estimated number of taxis or private hire vehicles in the United Kingdom.

Mr. David Mitchell

The information requested is as follows:

Figures for taxis in England and Wales are set out in the table
Licensed Taxis	Thousands
		London	England and Wales outside London
	1970	8.7	n/a
	1971	9.6	n/a
	1972	10.1	n/a
	1973	10.4	n/a
	1974	11.0	n/a
	1975	11.3	n/a
	1976	11.8	15.2
	1977	12.5	15.5
	1978	12.5	16.0
	1979	12.3	16.7
	1980	12.4	17.0
	1981	12.6	17.4
	1982	12.8	17.7
	1983	13.1	18.1
	1984	13.6	18.4
	1985	13.8	18.9
	1986	14.2	21.1

In Scotland, there were 5,188 licensed taxis in 1984 and 6,360 in 1985.

It is estimated that there were 20,000 hire cars in London in 1969, 27,000 in 1975 and about 35,000 in 1985. There were 19,300 licensed hire cars in England and Wales outside London in 1980 and 25,780 in 1985. This increase was, however, largely explained by the extension of licensing. There were 2,960 licensed hire cars in Scotland in 1985.