The meeting of the Planning and Regulation Panel on Tuesday, May 23 also decided all taxis can now operate across the Stirling Council area. Previously, 11 of the 82 licences available were restricted to operating outside Stirling City, mostly in rural areas.
The decisions were taken after consultation with taxi drivers, operators and Police Scotland and follow the recommendations from a Stirling Taxi Unmet Demand Survey, conducted in November 2022.
The Council appointed the Licensed Vehicles Survey and Assessment (LVSA) to undertake the survey on its behalf. The LVSA concluded there was a significant unmet demand for taxis in Stirling city centre after studying waiting times, use of ranks, fleet mix and the number of taxis on the road.
Council officers will also undertake a feasibility study on the introduction of a new, night-time taxi rank in Stirling city centre. The LVSA report suggested a new rank on Dumbarton Road, near Port Street, as the preferred option but alternative locations on Corn Exchange Road and Baker Street could also be considered.
Stirling Council agreed earlier this month to consult with taxi operators over plans to increase typical fares by around 14 per cent to reflect recent inflationary pressures and others costs.
A recording of the meeting can be viewed here: https://stirling.public-i.tv/core/portal/home
The agenda papers for the meeting and the LVSA report can be viewed here: Stirling Council - Agendas Index