“I’m sorry it has come to this because I know a lot of those guys, I put a lot of them through their tests,” he said.

“I genuinely don’t think they have the full facts. I wasn’t at their meeting on Tuesday, but if any of the lads themselves had been at last Thursday’s liaison forum, which was attended by members of the trade, the council’s licensing and legal departments and the police, every action, every query and every question at all appertaining to the running of a private hire office — and remember we’re a mixed office — was answered.

“Now unfortunately, the answers they were given by the legal team were not what the trade’s representatives wanted to hear, but it doesn’t alter the fact that is the law.

“There are no more cars on the road, in fact, there are 64 less taxis on the road now than there were a year ago.”

Asked what he thought of allegations about his firm “touting” for business at various points across the city, including from a compound the company leases opposite Fat Sam’s nightclub, and picking up from the street instead of being booked through the office, Mr Young denied that was the case.

“Touting is illegal and none of our drivers breaks the law. If any of our drivers, of which I am very proud, were caught breaking the law they wouldn’t be working for us any more,” he insisted.

“The arrangement with Fat Sam’s is totally legal. They came to us and made an agreement that we would pick up their staff and customers, which constitutes a contract of hire, done through our office.

“They tell us now they’ve never cleared the street so quickly before.

“As far as the taxi trade is concerned, I have a lot of sympathy for them because they are only thinking about their livelihoods, and although I raised the standards in Dundee, to be fair they raised the bar themselves and now Dundee has a taxi fleet to be proud of instead of a lot of old bangers chugging through the streets.

“It’s all about competition really. There are no restrictive practices in Dundee, there are no restrictions on pubs, clubs, shoe shops, they all find their own levels.”

Mr Young said his company is set to increase its fleet by another 50 new cars.

“About 30 of those are suitable for wheelchair users and at the moment there are around 205 wheelchair cabs in Dundee. When I started there were five,” he said.

“We’re only responding to the amount of business we’re generating. I can’t help it if people want to pick up the phone and call us instead of another company.

“We do all the work for NHS Tayside, the council and even the police, so I’m very confident for the future.”