Taxi Driver Online

Hike in taxi licence fees


TAXI drivers in Barnsley are set to be stung with an extra £100 on their licence fees in the next financial year – bringing the borough more in line with the rest of the county.

Barnsley Council is introducing the new fees from April, when the price for private hire vehicles will go up by £94, or £104 for Hackney carriages.

The extra cash will be used by the council to undertake additional enforcement work to ensure public safety and prevent illegal vehicles operating in the borough.

The authority has defended the moves – saying the prices are similar to the cost of a tank of fuel and are therefore a small percentage of a taxi driver's running costs.

By introducing the new tariffs, Barnsley Council will also be more in line with the regional average of fees charged.

Coun Roy Miller said: "While we appreciate the concerns of the trade around these licence fee increases, both the trade and councillors have been asking for increased enforcement within this sector and as such the cost of providing this has to be met from within the trade."

Comments about the fee increases should be made in writing to the licensing sections of regulatory services by 12noon on March 9. They can be contacted by email at regulatoryservices@barnsley.gov.uk or by calling 01226 772 468.

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