It also recently acquired a licence in the Sefton area which will facilitate growth and add to its overall fleet strength. AST's drivers can operate in any of the areas where it holds private-hire licences.
AST manages more than 700 self-employed drivers on its circuit and also handles 200 active corporate accounts. This will complement CityFleet's existing 400-taxi operation in Liverpool, the group said. In the UK, on top of taxi and private-hire operations, ComfortDelGro operates a fleet of some 3,000 radio taxis in London and Aberdeen.
Wholly-owned subsidiary Metroline is the third-largest public bus operator in London with a fleet of nearly 1,600 buses, the group said. The group's executive coach subsidiary, Westbus Coach Services, also provides executive coach services across the UK and mainland Europe. Through its 65 per cent-owned Scottish Citylink Coaches subsidiary, the group operates close to 100 coaches linking all the major towns in Scotland. It also offers cross-border services via Manchester and Newcastle.