Extra taxis to be drafted in for Aberdeen's Tall Ships festival as airport rules are dropped
Rules are to be relaxed allowing Aberdeen's airport taxis to help shuttle visitors around the city during two major events later this year.
Currently, Aberdeen City Council policy has two distinct 'operation zones' for taxis.
The first is specifically for the airport while the other covers the rest of the city.
Airport taxis can only operate within the city zone from midnight on Saturdays to 5am on Sunday to help with night time trade.
But, following concerns about a lack of cabs during the upcoming Tall Ships tourist bonanza, the rules are to be temporarily lifted.
Under the brief alteration, agreed by licensing chiefs today, Aberdeen's airport taxis will be allowed to pick up customers at ranks across the city while the Tall Ships (and Offshore Europe, in September) are in town.
It comes just weeks after Our Union Street boss Bob Keiller called for action to increase the number of taxis on the road ahead of the Tall Ships Races.
He argued that thousands of visitors were expected to flock to the festival, but a recent report suggested there was 'no need to increase the limit on the number of taxi licences'.
While councillors passed through the 'fairly straight forward' plan today, they were told that work to ensure the event will run smoothly has been moving at pace.
Licensing solicitor Sandy Munro revealed that talks have taken place between the Taxi Consultation Group and Tall Ship organisers to sort out temporary ranks.
Airport taxis will be able to pick up and drop off customers in the city during the Tall Ships festival from 6pm on Friday, July 18 to 11.59pm on Tuesday, July 22.
More than 50 Tall Ships will be docking at the city harbour this summer.
The four-day festival will feature sold out quayside concerts by Deacon Blue and the Kaiser Chiefs, while just a handful of tickets remain for the Ministry of Sound Classical gig.
And to top it all off, the Red Arrows will put on a display to mark the special event.
They will also be free to roam the city for Offshore Europe from Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 September.
The conference and exhibition is expected to draw thousands of people from some of the world's biggest companies when it returns to TECA.
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