Taxi fare rise proposals in Brentwood are quashed A MOVE to allow taxi firms in the town to increase fares by 10 per cent was blocked by Conservatives at Brentwood Borough Council.
At a licensing meeting on October 13 the Brentwood Accord, the council's ruling administration, put forward the proposal to raise fares with the recommendation it went to public consultation.
But with only five Accord councillors at the meeting, the Conservatives, who had the maximum six present, were able to gain the majority and block the move.
The decision has been met with anger by taxi firm bosses in the town, with one arguing "everything else" associated with running a taxi has gone up in price.
Conservative Councillor Mark Reed said: "The figures were presented to us almost unquestioned with the argument the charges were going up in line with inflation.
"But when we looked at it, it showed that somebody going one mile would have to pay ten and a half per cent more – we didn't think that we wanted that.
"People are struggling and the economy is on a downer so these prices have to be justified with facts."
He added: "The facts are that the costs of running motor vehicles has dropped and we couldn't justify backing the rise in time for Christmas as they were proposing."
Accord councillor Phil Mynott said the Tories were acting in a juvenile manner, adding that the administration abstained on the vote because they were not offered a viable alternative.
He said: "It was a submission from the taxi trade and something officials recommended taking forward after extensive discussions with taxi traders.
"At no stage before the meeting was there any issue from the Conservatives, until we got to the meeting where they come out with this idea of 'let's not raise the charges by so much.'
"It would be good to have done a lot more work on it and come in with a more feasible proposal, it's inappropriate for councillors to just say 'come back with a lower increase.'"
The Tories decision not to raise the fares has been met with disappointment from taxi firms.
Josh Hunter, owner of Doones Taxis, said taxi fares had not gone up in years.
He said: "My views are they should definitely be going up. We are one of the lowest priced boroughs.
"Everything else has gone up – petrol prices, the cost of living, the cost of repairs – everything involved in running a taxi firm."
Read more:
http://www.brentwoodgazette.co.uk/Taxi- ... z3GwnYQoAN
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