There are now over 4,200 licenced taxis in Amsterdam after ‘explosive growth’ in the first six months of this year, the Parool said on Friday.

In the first six months of 2015, 76 people started up as taxi drivers, but in the same period this year there were 382 newcomers to the market, the paper said.

Established firms have been calling for a limit on taxi numbers because of the impact on earnings. ‘Drivers are barely making ends meet,’ said Bas Vos, of umbrella group Amsterdams Platform Kwaliteitstaxi . ‘Most are happy if they cover their costs. We are talking minimum wage level and below.’

The platform was set up several years following a surge in complaints about taxi drivers in the capital.

Earlier this year, Deutsche Bank said an eight kilometre taxi fare in Amsterdam costs around €24, which is cheaper only than Zurich, Stockholm and Tokyo.

The city council says the issue is one for national government and that there is little it can do to limit taxi numbers. The Dutch taxi market was liberalised in 2000, when the permit system was abandoned and anyone was able to set up a taxi service.