Jersey watchdog wants restriction lifted on taxis

Jersey's watchdog has called for changes to the way taxis operate

A report has said that the way Jersey's taxi service is run is not in customers' best interests.

The island's competition watchdog wants to lift the restriction on the number of taxis and private cabs operating in the island.

The report found that booking a private hire cab will cost you nearly a third more than getting a taxi from the rank.

It also shows all fares have risen by about 20% in the past four years, 7% more than inflation.

John Curran, from the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority, said a more liberalised market should reduce prices.

He said: "If one looks at the system of regulation that one has, where you have limitations and restrictions on the number of people that can provide the service, what you tend to find is that the cost generally will be higher than in a more liberalised market.

"While there will always be individual factors that influence taxi fares in individual locations, in general it is hard to come to a conclusion that fares being as high as they are in Jersey is justified."

The Jersey Competition Regulation Authority wants the States to make a number of changes to the way taxis are regulated.

It wants to remove restrictions on the number of taxis and is calling for more transparency on how fares are set.

The transport minister said the island's taxi system has changed little in decades and modernisation is now overdue.

In an earlier public consultation on transport, more than half of respondents said they wanted a more efficient and integrated taxi service in the island.