Taxi fares to rise in Cambridge as cap on hackney carriage numbers debatedThe cost of getting a hackney carriage taxi in Cambridge is to go up for the first time in two years as cabbies battle for business.
The city council’s licensing committee approved the rise of approximately 2 per cent yesterday after drivers complained increasing costs and heightened competition was making it harder for them to earn a living.
Councillors also agreed to look into the feasibility of carrying out a study into hackney carriage demand, which could ultimately see a cap put on the number of licences issued.
The fare rise, which will come in on September 15, is different to the flat rise of 5p or 10p per journey which was initially suggested.
The committee instead backed drivers’ suggestion that the rate at which the bill goes up should be slightly increased, meaning that shorter journeys will be less affected by the change.
Cllr Jeremy Benstead, who chairs the panel, said: “The trade didn’t ask for an increase last year when they could have done and they believe their costs are now going up. This idea will not be as expensive for shorter trips and we are all for keeping costs down for people if we can.”
A study commissioned by the council last year estimated hackney carriage drivers in Cambridge now spent 51 per cent of their working time waiting, rather than on a job.
There are currently 308 hackney carriage drivers vying for trade in the city, up against 180 private hire vehicles, which cannot be regulated by the council, and another 800 registered in south Cambridgeshire.
The difference is that a hackney carriage can be flagged down in the street.
David Wratten, chairman of hackney carriage trade association Cambridge City Licensed Taxis, said increased competition was a factor in the request for a price rise.
He said: “The problem we have is the volume of cabs and the limited amount of rank space in the city.
“Every vehicle now has to be wheelchair accessible and they come on expensive finance so drivers are under a lot of pressure. People are using mobile phones and ringing up companies to get private hires so the whole game has changed.”
The cap will be considered in a bid to tackle congestion, and follows warnings that competition between cabbies could boil over into violence.
A cap was last in force in 1995, when there were 120 hackney carriages, but can only be brought in if a survey finds there is no significant unmet demand for taxis.
Councillors also agreed to start negotiations on a voluntary code to end the sale of high-strength beer and ciders in the city, in a bid to combat anti-social behaviour.
Read more:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambrid ... z38BRETs4j
Login
Register
FAQ
