More rank space for Amsterdam taxi drivers: at night about a 125 loading and unloading sites for goods will become pop-up taxi ranks. The scheme, which starts in September, provides more rank space for Amsterdam’s cabs. An inventory by the local regulator showed a total of 250 potential sites for the entire city area, unfortunately few of them in the centre where they are most needed. For months Amsterdam taxi companies have been complaining of a lack of rank space.

At the same time the activities of mystery guests, hired by the municipal authorities to check the city’s taxi quality, showed that two out of three taxi trips in the Dutch capital are still below par. Main problems: refusing taxi trips, use of social media whilst driving, not using the taxi meter, no proper documents on board and not spontaneously providing a ticket.

• The pop-up taxi rank: an Amsterdam first?