Taxi Driver Online

Not difficult to spot the noteworthy element of this article

Of course, commonplace for the trade to request to extend hours for T2, T3 etc, and often councillors will play ball.

On the other hand, can't really remember one like this, particularly when it's quite a late T2 start time in any case


Not Fare! Rother Taxi Charges Could Rise By 10 Per Cent

https://www.moreradio.online/news-post/ ... 0-per-cent

Rother District Council's cabinet is due to decide on Monday (14 September) whether to change the authority's fare card for Hackney Carriage drivers.

Councillors agreed in June to consult on a range of potential changes to fares.

The current fares were last set in April 2023, when diesel cost around 161 pence per litre.

Since then, diesel prices have fluctuated significantly, ranging from 141 to 191 pence per litre over the past year.

At the time the council's report was published, the RAC Foundation put the average price at 185 pence per litre.

Council officers say the proposed changes are “reasonable” in light of fuel price fluctuations and wider inflation.

If approved, passengers would face a higher starting fare, with additional charges being applied after shorter distances and waiting periods than under the current system.

The proposals would also increase the charge for additional passengers from 30p to 40p, while the charge for transporting dogs would rise from 20p to 30p per dog.

Overall, the council estimates the changes would result in fares increasing by around 10 per cent.

There would also be a change to the council's late-night tariff.

At present, the more expensive rate can be charged from 11pm.

Under the proposed changes, that would move back to midnight.

The final decision will be made by Rother District Council's cabinet on Monday.

Had a look for the official papers, and this is all I can find. But it just effectively states as per the above, with no explanation or rationale - point 7 below:

https://rother.moderngov.co.uk/document ... 0Fares.pdf

But I'd put money on the impetus for this change NOT coming from the trade

And also slightly leftfield is that the council's current tariff information states that meters can be calibrated to below the official tariff, and a different tariff card can be displayed accordingly.

Which, of course, is quite an old chestnut - isn't it settled law that meters must show the official tariff, even if a discounted fare is being offered?


https://www.rother.gov.uk/licences-and- ... ge-meters/

Also slightly odd is PHTM's headline on this stuff - spot the odd word here


ROTHER TAXI DRIVERS FACE POTENTIAL FARE RISE AS COUNCIL CONSIDERS COST PRESSURES

https://www.phtm.co.uk/news/9220/phtm-n ... -pressures


So the use of the word 'face' in that kind of context would normally imply something negative, surely?

Maybe the headline was going to be about moving the T2 start time from 11pm to midnight, in which case the word 'face' would have been more appropriate

And which is in fact mentioned in PHTM's piece:

Indeed it is, but this area is the most rural of rural areas so the LOs know diddly squat about licensing laws. But the area is absolutely beautiful.

Which is why William the 1 fought a battle there, at Battle, in 1066.

However, moving the 11 pm to midnight tariff change should affect absolutely no one.

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IDFIMH

According to Wiki, Bexhill-on-Sea's population is 44,000, so that's a good sized town around the size of the likes of Perth and Dunfermline.

And according to the DfT stats there's 105 HCs but only 49 PHVs.

So I'd guess the local trade is mainly HCs, both on the ranks and on the circuits, thus a bit like St Andrews.

So all in all I'd guess that the T2 start time is VERY relevant

I forgot about Bexhill.

Think the average age there is just over 100.

_________________
IDFIMH

Some interesting insight on Taxi Point regarding moving the T2 start time

This is presumably from official council papers, so I'm not sure if this is just being selective about which other councils are being cited to support the change - don't know the geography and council areas down there well enough to say.

But, off the top of my head, from a more national perspective, I would say T2 starting at 11pm is late, never mind midnight...



And officials obviously using the typical lack of consultation response from the trade as a justification for moving the T2 timing

And that totally contradicts what's currently on the Rother council website above re current tariffs

So that would be another change, although the Taxi Point piece doesn't flag it up as such (see what I did there? )

I thought that last point might have been some sort of AI hallucination

But, to be 'fare' to Taxi Point, it is as per the official papers. (Which I eventually found after poking around papers and agendas and the likes for three different licensing panels, before eventually realising that it was a full cabinet meeting that would be considering it all )


So, to reiterate, that totally contradicts what's currently stated on the council's website (but probably better reflects the legal position).

https://www.rother.gov.uk/licences-and- ... ge-meters/

And, for what it's worth, this is the link to the official cabinet agenda paper - the tariff stuff starts at page 112:

https://rother.moderngov.co.uk/document ... t.pdf?T=10

There's also this regarding the T2 thing



...not to mention the consultation responses, and other official guff if anyone feels the need...

I mean, check out the stuff towards the end headed "EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT Including Socio-Economic duty"