GLASGOW city centre taxi ranks have seen a dramatic fall in customer numbers this summer while at the same time more people have needed help.

Ranks where waiting passengers are used to enduring lengthy late-night queues saw tens of thousands fewer people waiting in line between April and July.

At the same time a report into the city's Nite Zone service revealed a large increase in incidents where volunteer street pastors have intervened to help someone thought to be in a vulnerable situation.

Nite Zone operates at taxi ranks in Gordon Street, Sauchiehall Street, near Charing Cross, Albion Street, in Merchant City and Byres Road in the West End, designed to help get people into licensed taxis and on their way home as quickly and safely as possible.

In the four taxi ranks in the scheme: Gordon Street, Sauchiehall Street, Albion Street and Byres Road the number of people getting into taxis dipped from 173,218 to 124,180, a drop of 28%.

Taxi bosses said they had noticed a dip and it has been suggested that as well as fewer people going out, people may be spending less time in the city centre, leaving earlier when public transport is still available.

Nite Zone involved a radio link up between licensed premises and police and taxi ranks to spot any potential for trouble to target resources where larger numbers of people are likely to be.

The Zone operates on Friday and Saturday nights, throughout the year.

A spokesman for Glasgow Community Safety Services said: "There has obviously been a drop in numbers in the first few months of this financial year, but it's far too early to draw any concrete conclusions.

"It could simply be the case that the very poor weather over the summer has had an influence.

Street pastors are on hand to help people who are drunk, have lost their way or are in need of assistance.

The number of cases where people were thought to be "vulnerable" and needing support increased in the last year from 196 to 416.

The number of people at risk of suicide or self-harm went from 18 in 2009 to seven last year.

Incidents where the pastors calmed a situation went up from 107 in 2009 to 128 the following year and saw another increase to 170 last year.

Last year they picked up 908 bottles from around the taxi ranks left by people before they got into cabs.

However only 10 cases of first aid had to be administered over the whole year.

The pastors are out every Saturday and every second Friday and in the last year have also handed out almost 3000 pairs of flip-flops to women whose feet are feeling the effects of wearing heels and have provided 229 blankets, sleeping bags, hats or gloves to people feeling the cold or who are unsuitably dressed for the weather.

Council officials said the number of incidents, while although it is an increase of more than 100%, is still very low and the city centre is safer than before.

Street Pastors operate on 78 nights a year for several hours each night dealing with incidents at an average of around six per night across the four ranks.

Taxi drivers said trade was down on the previous year, but that Nite Zone has increased safety for drivers and passengers.

Stephen Flynn, vice chairman of Glasgow Taxis, said: "Things have been quieter than usual at the ranks, people are picking and choosing when they go into the city centre we have noticed a slight decrease.

"Hopefully, it will improve in the next few months when it is normally a lot busier.

"The Nite Zone makes a difference. After a while people take it for granted but since we started it in 2006, it has made a difference.

"From a safety point of view it is much better for the drivers."

Glasgow City Council, who are partners in Nite Zone through Glasgow Community Safety Services said there was co-ordination through the ranks between the police and pastors and the licenced trade, which ensures the areas are well policed.

A spokesman for GCSS said: "We anticipated that these figures would go up as the street pastors became more experienced in their role.

"More and more businesses are also getting involved in the night radio scheme and that has contributed to more situations of people being identified as being vulnerable.

"There has been a definite increase in awareness of what constitutes a vulnerable person and it is much better to have the street pastors intervene at an early stage before incidents become more serious."