DESPITE apps like Uber shaking up the taxi industry, new figures show that traditional hailed cabs are becoming increasingly popular in all areas of Gwent – apart from Newport.

However, the Local Government Association is calling for new powers to help councils regulate the taxi industry following the rise of ride-hailing apps across England and Wales, to ensure taxi drivers are protected.

There are two main kinds of licensed vehicles in the trade – traditional taxis, which can be hailed from the street, and private hire vehicles, which need to be pre-booked.

Department for Transport figures show private hire vehicles, also known as minicabs, accounted for 27 per cent of hireable vehicles in Caerphilly in March – down from 35 per cent a decade before.

In Monmouthshire the percentage was 42 per cent, down from 59 per cent. Torfaen saw a drop from 81 per cent to 70 per cent and Blaenau Gwent saw the number down from six per cent to just three.

Overall, 108 minicabs were licensed to work in Caerphilly in March, compared to 150 a decade before. Monmouthshire’s figures were 92, down from 112 and in Torfaen the number had risen from 132 to 146. Blaenau Gwent saw the figures drop from 10 to four.

READ MORE:

The drop in the share of licences taken by minicabs bucks the trend across England and Wales.

Of the 302,000 licences recorded across the two nations in March, 75 per cent were held by minicabs, compared to 67 per cent ten years earlier.

Newport was the only region in Gwent to conform to the national trend. DfT figures show private hire vehicles, also known as minicabs, accounted for 90 per cent of hireable vehicles in Newport in March – up from just 77 per cent a decade before.

Overall, 884 minicabs were licensed to work in the area in March, compared to 472 a decade before.

Uber, and other companies that provide mobile ride-hailing services, have become increasingly popular in recent years – their drivers require private hire licences.

Simon Blackburn, chairman of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said: “The government has said it is committed to reforming taxi licensing – it now needs to bring forward new legislation which addresses the need for national minimum standards."

A recent study commissioned by the government also found the rise of ride-hailing apps has led to more minicab drivers working entirely outside their licensed area, known as cross-border hiring.

The report's recommendations included making taxis and minicabs start or finish their journeys within their licensed area, to make their activity easier to regulate, and introducing new safety measures.