Taxi fares to rise by 20p26/06/2012Rising running costs mean the cost of a taxi journey in Cambridge is going up.
City councillors yesterday agreed to hackney carriage drivers’ request for an extra 20p to go on all tariffs from August 15.
Although fuel prices have recently dropped slightly, drivers complain they are still out of pocket from years of soaring prices, and are also concerned about increasing bills for servicing, parts and repairs.
David Wratten, the treasurer of Cambridge City Licensed Taxis, which represents the trade, said: “We asked for 20p purely to help towards higher running costs because all the time it gets dearer and dearer to run a taxi.
“We are still earning less than we did two years ago and I know everyone is, but we have got to keep our vehicles on the roads and we thought this would be reasonable for customers and the trade.”
In previous years, fare increases in Cambridge have followed changes in London, but drivers said they did not want an additional 5.3 per cent increase on distance and waiting which has been introduced in the capital.
They feared this could deter customers, according to Cllr Colin Rosenstiel, who chairs the licensing committee.
He said: “The evidence from London shows the cost of running a taxi has gone up by more than 5 per cent and this increase is lower than that so we felt that, in the face of increased costs, we had to be fair for the trade.
“It’s less than they could have asked for because they were concerned about the impact on trade.”
From August 15, the basic fee for a taxi between 7am and 7pm will be £2.80, instead of £2.60, with additional charging for distance and waiting.
Between 7pm and 7am, the basic fee will be £3.80.
Councillors agreed to new pollution standards for taxis, and are considering a “fair fare” scheme which would give passengers travelling beyond the city boundary the choice of paying a fare agreed at the start of the journey, or paying the fare shown on the meter.
It is thought this would deter drivers from charging inflated prices.
Source; http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Ta ... 062012.htm
Login
Register
FAQ
