1,000 more taxis planned for Paris

AN EXTRA 1,000 taxi licences could be created to improve the availability of taxis in Paris at peak hours.

The government wants to increase the number of taxis circulating at evenings and weekends.

It is the latest plan to reform taxi services in the capital which have recently seen fresh competition from a fleet of 600 voitures de tourisme avec chauffeur VTCs.

The VTCs are essentially short-term vehicle hire with a driver and taxi unions have won their call for them to face tighter greater regulation. VTCs must now wait a minimum of 15 minutes before they can pick up a passenger.

Taxi unions are also against plans to introduce more vehicles, saying that the current fleet of 17,500 cars for Paris and its surroundings (compared to 25,000 licensed black cab drivers and 22,500 licensed black cab vehicles in London) should be encouraged to work at peak hours rather than face more competition.

The taxi union CSAT said that as a taxi licence cost €230,000, there was no question of new licences being given away.

Michael Stumpf - Fotolia.com