Taxi Driver Online

Hartlepool cabbies fear increased costs from new licensing laws
Taxi drivers in Hartlepool have been warned that proposed new policies on taxi licensing will lead to an increase in operating costs and fares.

Officials from Hartlepool Borough Council are currently discussing introducing a standardised hackney and private hire licensing system, which would help to create consistency across the Tees Valley area.

However, it would also introduce the need for expensive qualifications such as NVQs and disabled awareness training, which are presently not compulsory in Hartlepool, reports the Hartlepool Mail.

Council bosses have stated that this could lead to a rise in taxi fares, which are currently rated as the second-lowest in the country.

Councillor Ged Hall, who represents the Burn Valley area of the town, said: "In principle it's great to say that if we have a taxi coming from Darlington we should know what to expect, but there are so many issues that need to be considered."

High taxi fares have also been highlighted as an issue in London by a Hotels.com poll this month, which showed that the capital's taxi services are considered to be the world's most expensive

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