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Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
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Author:  edders23 [ Fri Jul 14, 2017 3:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/sheerness/news/taxi-cost-consultation-underway-128826/

A taxi firm has hit out at Swale council after it was announced some fees could be hiked to more than four times what they used to be.

The changes, which are currently under consultation, would affect the cost of everything from licencing to taking knowledge exams, but wouldn’t affect taxi fares.

One substantial increase is the price companies must pay for a private hire operator licence, valid for five years, which could increase from £100 to £430.

Tony Stevens, owner of Rushenden-based iCars, said: “Every taxi or private hire vehicle company is affected.

“There’s no proposals to increase fares and for us to absorb these costs you’re looking at £5,000 a year more.

“If they have been running on these costs for the last five or six years then how can they justify it going up?”

Tony Stevens, of taxi business iCars, Argent Road, Rushenden
Taxi fares pay the wages of the drivers as well as the going towards the running costs, but drivers haven’t seen a pay rise in three years.

“It shouldn’t be a money making department but I’m quite lucky that we’re quite busy and I can hopefully swallow that £5,000 but if you’re an independent it’s very different,” he added.

“It’s the underhand and sneaky way they’ve done it.”

Swale House, headquarters of Swale Borough Council in East Street, Sittingbourne
The council has defended its decision to review the fees.

A spokesman said: “Taxi fees and charges have not been reviewed for more than five years, and the proposed increases were agreed last November by the full council, subject to the current consultation which is a chance for drivers and operators to raise any objections.

“We don’t make any profit from the service we provide, and the fees have been calculated based on the time and cost of the activities we undertake to provide the service.

“The proposed fees were also reviewed against other Kent districts to ensure they are proportional and in line with the fees they charge.”

The consultation ends on Wednesday, July 19.

To give feedback or object to the changes, email taxifees@swale.gov.uk
Author:  Sussex [ Sun Jul 16, 2017 2:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
Is £500 really a lot of money for a five year operator's license?

£2 a week?
Author:  Midlife martyr [ Sun Jul 16, 2017 3:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
Sussex wrote:
Is £500 really a lot of money for a five year operator's license?

£2 a week?


The mistake that councils make is in not reviewing licensing charges and fares on a regular yearly basis, which then makes the eventual increases seem high.
Author:  mancityfan [ Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
AMBER VALLEY £300
Barnsley £127
BATH & N E SOMERSET £134
Breckland Council and South Holland Council £90
Bridgend £348 renewal
Chelmsford £242
Cheshire east £347
Cornwall £327
DERBYSHIRE DALES £400
Eastcambs £380
EAST DEVON £390
EAST HANTS £352
East Herts Council,£258 +£30 per vehicle
EastLeigh £365
Eden £300
Erewash £416
Hart £116 will remain the same for now
High Peak Borough Council £315
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council £222
Kettering Borough Council £100 remain same
Lewes District Council £300
Manchester £650 same as the 1 year no increase
Mid Devon District Council, £377.00
Newark and Sherwood District Council £145 plus £27 per vehicle.
NORTHUMBERLAND £456
NORTH DEVON £213
North East Lincolnshire £389 + £5 per vehicle
North Hertfordshire £575
North Kesteven £134.77
Sevenoaks District Council,£300 3yr
Telford & Wrekin Council £201 renewal
Test Valley Borough Council,Our Operators Licence is currently £207 for a 3 year licence; we have been unable to implement a 5 year licence at present but will do so from 01/04/2016 and will keep that at £207.
Thanet District Council £280
Waverley £438 "Do not intend to make any changes"
Wellingborough £305.40
Wigan Council £466 remain the same
Wiltshire £430
Author:  Sussex [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 4:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
My point isn't that £500 over five years isn't a large increase.

Its is it really worth going to war with the council over £2 a week?
Author:  edders23 [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
Midlife martyr wrote:
Sussex wrote:
Is £500 really a lot of money for a five year operator's license?

£2 a week?


The mistake that councils make is in not reviewing licensing charges and fares on a regular yearly basis, which then makes the eventual increases seem high.



ours increases licensing charges every year but NOT fares
Author:  mancityfan [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 8:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
Sussex wrote:
My point isn't that £500 over five years isn't a large increase.

Its is it really worth going to war with the council over £2 a week?


According to a senior licensing officer in Manchester the cost of a five year licence is no different to a one year one, and that's why Manchester didn't increase the cost for a five year licence, he said the only difference was changing the one to a five, so we all no they can't charge more than the cost of the issue of the licence, how can they charge £2 a week extra?
Author:  grandad [ Mon Jul 17, 2017 8:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Swale council consulting to increase taxi fees
edders23 wrote:
Midlife martyr wrote:
Sussex wrote:
Is £500 really a lot of money for a five year operator's license?

£2 a week?


The mistake that councils make is in not reviewing licensing charges and fares on a regular yearly basis, which then makes the eventual increases seem high.



ours increases licensing charges every year but NOT fares

Most councils only review fares at the request of the trade.
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