Taxi Driver Online

What a load of nonsense - unlike what's portrayed in the headline, the running mile is going up 30p on T1 and 40p on T2

Maybe they haven't had a rise for a while, but aren't Wiltshire fares off-the-scale anyway?

I'd guess much of the tales of woe may be down to a downturn in work, and/or individual businesses losing work to other providers

And it certainly reads like they said nothing until it was all done and dusted, then they approach the press


Wiltshire taxi drivers 'insulted' by 3p pay rise decision

https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news ... -decision/



Taxi drivers in Wiltshire have branded a 3p pay rise an “insult” that will force people out of the industry.

Wiltshire Council has confirmed it will raise the maximum fares that hackney carriages licenced with the local authority can charge from September 1.

For tariff 1, which covers vehicles with up to four seats between 7am and 9.59pm, fares will increase from 22p per tenth of a mile to 25p.

There will be a 4p increase per tenth of a mile for tariff 2 fares, which cover vehicles carrying more than four people during these times.

There will be no increase to fares for tariffs 3 to 5, which relate to night journeys, Sundays, or public holidays.

Long-serving taxi drivers based at Chippenham Railway Station said a pay rise of just a few pennies per tenth of a mile was a “shambles” because of rising costs.

Vivienne Pepler said: “It may look good at 13.6 per cent, but when you look at the numbers it’s 3p and 4p, there has been hardly any change over the years.

“The council doesn’t understand the cost of keeping a vehicle on the road, the price of parts, MOTs, and services have all gone up.

“It’s horrendous, we pay so much for licencing and they’re doing nothing for us.”

Russell Gibbings says the new tariffs will be “a massive pay cut” for taxi drivers in real terms.

He added: “That is the first pay rise we’ve had in years, with the cost of living it’s an embarrassing amount and an insult.

“Wiltshire Council dictates to us how much money we can charge and earn from the taxi rank, even if my bills double, I can’t charge more.

“It’s a massive insult to the taxis that have served Wiltshire for many years, how can you run a vehicle and a business on a pay rise of a few pennies over six years.”

This is the first change to taxi fares in Wiltshire since 2022, and many drivers say they were not warned about the council’s consultation ahead of the decision.

Both Mrs Pepler and Mr Gibbings fear drivers will leave the industry because of low earnings and high costs.

Mrs Pepler said: “This has always been an ideal job for me, but I’m getting to the point where I wonder why I bother, and I know my husband feels the same.”

Mr Gibbings added: “The cost of living and running a taxi has risen astronomically… there are drivers leaving because there’s no money in it, and they aren’t attracting any new ones.

“The salary isn’t there, I’ve been working taxis for 20 years and have had a pay rise of £1 in that time.

“I used to have five taxis, I’ve gone down to three, and I’m considering going down to one because of the cost.”

Cllr Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: “We are responsible for setting the maximum fares that can be charged in hackney carriages, and this requires a balance between ensuring there is a viable trade for licence holders while also maintaining affordability for the public.

“After we completed our annual fare review and benchmarking against neighbouring authorities, a fare increase was proposed and amended following driver feedback.”

Cllr Smith insists drivers were consulted on the changes in March and again in May after amendments.

He added: “While individual feedback varied, 81 per cent of respondents supported the proposal.

“It is important to note that response rates are typically low, and we must reflect the views of the majority of nearly 900 licensed drivers.

“Legal notices were published in local newspapers in July, and no objections were received.

“The Licensing Committee also reviewed the proposal, with minimal attendance from drivers.”

Given that it's a rise of 22p-40p per mile, the fact that the press is running a headline like that isn't such a bad thing for the trade.

As for the doom and gloom comments, sadly, the trade isn't really booming anywhere.

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IDFIMH