Cab fares set to rise as driving costs rocket
Taxi Driver Mark Selley
Black cab fares are to rise as drivers battle soaring fuel and insurance costs.
Preston Hackney Carriage Association (PHCA) and the Hackney Drivers Association submitted a request to Preston Council to make the changes.
Mark Selley, of PHCA, said: “(The council) did approve an increase on the tariffs. It’s been two years since the last one.
“The cost of diesel in the last two years has gone up from £1.13 to near enough £1.50. With insurance, we have seen record hikes.”
Mr Selley said the fare increase is vital otherwise drivers could be forced to work even longer hours, putting their passengers and themselves at risk.
He said: “What we have to do is recognise the trade is facing rising costs.”
He said the rise equates to 20p on a two-mile journey which he said “is not overly significant”.
At a meeting on Thursday, Preston Council’s taxi sub-committee heard how one driver’s annual insurance premiums soared from £990 to £2,000.
Councillors also agreed calendar controlled taxi meters should be introduced.
Mr Selley: “Although the trade is not particularly enthralled about it, it is actually a good thing for the passengers.
“With it being calendar controlled, the driver won’t be able to override any of the tariffs.”
Drivers whose cabs have older meters face costs of £300 to £500 to have the calendar controlled ones installed.
And Mr Selley said in the past 12 months, just 19 complaints had been received about incorrect tariff usage out of around one million journeys.
An automatic tariff change, from tariff one to two, will also kick in after three miles to compensate the fact that drivers, by law, cannot pick up a return journey back.
The flag, the amount shown on the meter at the start of the journey which currently covers the first 631 yards, will be increased from £2 to £2.20 for the first 735 yards. The rate of 10p for each succeeding 104 yards will be increased to 20p for each succeeding 194 yards on tariff one.
Tariff two’s flag will increase from £2.70 to £2.80 for the first 746 yards and the rate of 20p for each succeeding 165 yards will be reduced to 157 yards.
If no objections are submitted to the council, the new fares could come into force on July 1. Any objections received will be considered by the taxi sub-committee on July 19.