Clydebank Public Hire Association, which represents around 100 of the town’s taxi drivers, has wished the new firm well — despite fears there is not enough business to go round.

This comes after Clydebank and District TOA drivers tried to prevent David Hamilton from getting a licence to open a private cab booking office on Dumbarton Road.

The black cab organisation had previously argued Mr Hamilton’s proposal to open the office at 193/1 Dumbarton Road was flawed because of a lack of car parking and the potential for traffic problems on an already busy route.

However, at a West Dunbartonshire Council licensing hearing last week, the council’s roads officer Raymond Walsh told councillors he was “comfortable” with the plan.

Following a visit to the site and an assurance from Mr Hamilton that he had permission to use the adjacent land for car parking, Mr Walsh said: “I don’t recognise any issue of congestion in that particular area. From my perspective I don’t think they are legitimate concerns.” Councillors on the licensing committee agreed and unanimously granted Mr Hamilton a license to create Clydebank’s first private hire company, which means drivers can only pick up previously booked jobs and not people on the street.

Allan MacLeod, of Clydebank Public Hire Association, said currently Glasgow private hire companies are serving the town.

He said: “I don’t believe there is enough business in the town centre to warrant it. But the outside firms do take business from taxi firms in Clydebank. It remains to be seen what impact this new business will have on that out of town operation.

”We wish him the best in competing with the out of town private hires, but not in taking business from the Clydebank taxis.” Mr Hamilton was unavailable for comment as the Clydebank Post went to press.