Edinburgh Napier University

  The supply of taxi services can be materially affected within the market as taxi drivers respond to market opportunities, and from the outside, where regulators influence supply through regulation – quality, quantity and/or economic controls, and best practice. Indeed, a long-standing difference exists between locations, and individuals, supporting taxi limits, and those who don’t. This paper does not seek to conclude whether regulated or liberalized markets offer better services to consumers, but rather to assess the use of taxis engaged at taxi ranks in any given regulatory environment. The paper builds on work undertaken in the Republic of Ireland, a liberalized environment, and similar work undertaken in Glasgow, Scotland – a regulated one. The paper explores patterns of taxi engagement, relationships between trip generation and existing use of taxi ranks, and the optimization of taxi rank locations in light of current and changing patterns of demand. The paper concludes by presenting a theoretical approach to optimal rank location. The approach is tested, using live data collected in the Republic of Ireland with conclusions drawn specific to the opportunities and challenges in defining optimal services at taxi ranks.