Private hire car companies are taking Edinburgh Council to court over city mobility plan – Steve Cardownie

A artist's impression of how the city centre transformation and city mobility plans could change Edinburgh's Waverley Bridge

Two private hire car companies, Edinburgh City Private Hire and Seven Sevens Cars, last week lodged a petition at the Court of Session for a “judicial review of the decision of the City of Edinburgh Council’s transport and environment committee to approve the final city mobility plan and associated implementation plan on 19 February 2021”.

Their beef is that they have not been properly consulted and that the mobility plan pays scant regard to the role private hire cars play in Edinburgh and their contribution to the safe movement of its citizens.

Their deputation at February’s transport committee meeting stressed the changes that they proposed to the plan “are required to clarify that a private hire taxi provides the same function as a taxi in transport sustainability terms. It ensures the private hire industry will have access to the same level of partnership working with the council as other taxis and ensures that both classes of vehicle description can contribute to the fulfilment of the council’s ongoing strategy of the city mobility plan 2030.”

The companies maintain that the plan will make it more difficult for them to operate as well as potentially putting customers at risk as some well-established “pick-up points” will be denied to them.

They say that although their deputation was heard, the points they made were not taken on board and want the implementation of the plan to be put on hold until they are properly consulted – hence the court action.

The council is aware of the court action and will make its position clear soon.

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