TAXI!

Local Residents, Business Owners and Holiday Makers in Towyn  have hit out with their disappointment of the non existent taxi service that supports the area.  

Currently if you require a taxi you have to book it well in advance, it isn’t always that easy to know if you will require a taxi. You may decide to take a taxi due to a change in weather or deciding to be safe and enjoying a drink with a meal. However, if you try to call for a taxi to take you home you are met with -“No Taxi available” or “Were not picking up from Towyn”. 

Towyn has roughly 3000 residents and when the main holidays hit the capacity jumps to over 15,000. Holiday Makers wanting to get taxi’s to take them to the train station are told they will not be able to pick them up or they can with a wait time of two hours. This isn’t ideal when your train is booked, meaning Holiday Makers are having to get themselves, luggage and children onto the bus to get home.

This also effects local businesses as customers are less likely to come to Towyn to make use of the fantastic eateries and enjoy the entertainment that is on offer. Unfortunately people who are unaware of this current situation find themselves stuck and having to wait on the late bus if they haven’t already missed it. 

In the defence of taxi’s not picking up from Towyn was an owner of a taxi firm based in Rhyl who says “Try a Conwy firm, they’re allowed to trade there, Denbighshire can only take private hire bookings. The amount of “no shows” is huge in Towyn. Drive all the way there to go back empty!“. He was then asked ”what constitutes a private hire booking? Just phoning and booking in advance?“ and responded ”correct, phoning and booking in advance is private hire. Conwy Council called me to say I couldn’t trade in Conwy (wrong), I advised them that I could (laws are set in London not Conwy).They asked me to set up in Conwy and the main problem is Towyn has a population of 3000 or less… You need 20 taxis or more in the 6 weeks, then there’s not enough work for 1 taxi”.

What is your experience with trying to get a Taxi? Do you feel it has changed in the last few years? Leave your comment below or send an email to claire@soundradio.wales as this will be a hot topic on the return of The Community Voice Monday 7pm 04/09/23.