Following demands from residents and local taxi drivers the Community Association “San Miguel Arcángel” has asked for an increase in the number of taxi licenses issued within the municipality.
The request follows a similar demand made last year by 60 commercial establishments and taxi workers who say that the current service is insufficient. According to the 2015 register, San Miguel has only 2 taxi licenses to serve a population of 6,776 inhabitants.
The average allocation of taxi licenses in Spain, according to INE statistics, is 15.4 taxis per ten thousand inhabitants which studies show to be the optimum number for drivers to achieve profitability. According to these figures the number of licenses that should therefore be issued within the town is 9, which is far from the number that are currently in operation.
The Association also explains that it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the population and it’s distribution across the municipality. Approximately half of the residents of the town are over 50 years of age therefore they would be expected to have a greater demand for the service, even during the off peak season.
There are also a number of important economic attractions scattered around the town including 6 golf courses, 12 restaurants within the town and 6 in the urbanizations, two airports, 1 health centre and a hospital which they say gives even greater credence to the council increasing the number of taxi operators.
