Taxis complement the Tyne and Wear public transport system by providing a completely flexible service, available from any location at almost any time of the day or night.  As they operate on a 24-hour basis, they are crucial to the evening economy, particularly in the cities of Newcastle and Sunderland. 

We hold regular liaison meetings with operators to examine how taxi and private hire services can be integrated with other forms of community transport, so as to use the best solution to meet local needs. 

An independent study into the role of taxis and private hire vehicles in Tyne and Wear was carried out in 2008 and this is helping to inform our future strategies.  We are also seeking to improve waiting facilities at taxi ranks (such as the taxi queue shelter at Sunderland, shown in the photograph), to extend taxi marshalling schemes, provide information on taxi and private hire at public transport interchanges and maximise the use of technology such as smartcards.