Taxi Driver Online

Taxi fares to go up in Welwyn Hatfield for first time in 12 years

Taxis fares are set to go up in price in Welwyn Hatfield for the first time since 2008 following a vote at a full council meeting on Thursday night.

The new fares will potentially come in place on December 1, but could be introduced later if there are objections from the public to allow for a hearing.

The fare statistics show that the current WHBC’s taxi fares rank 244 out of 363 authorities in England, the new fares move that position up to around 28.

The current fares are £2.50 for the first 900 yards (825 meters) and then 20p for every subsequent 170 yards (155 metres) or part thereof.

The new fares are £3 for the first 525 yards (480 metres) and 20p for every subsequent 150 yards (137 metres) or part thereof.

This means if you currently travelled two kilometres in a taxi it would cost you £4.10, but if you travel 2km in a taxi on December 1 it will cost you £5.40.

There were no rises in extra charges, for example hiring a taxi in between 11pm and 7am will still see a 50 per cent increase on usual rates.

Hertfordshire Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Malcolm Cowan asked for the report to be taken back and be looked at by a member group and that taxi fares should be reviewed every two years, but both of these motions were voted down.

He described the jump in rates from 244th nationally to eighth as “a hell of a leap” and that he “would prefer to see us somewhere in the middle”.

Responding to Cllr Cowan executive member for governance, public health and climate change cllr Fiona Thomson said: “Councils are periodically reviewing their fares so if it was approved tonight and adopted on December 1 we may be high up the ranking, that’s not to say 20 councils may not instigate a review of their fares the next day.

“Within Hertfordshire we know that the majority of the councils have reviewed theirs within the last seven years, of course that may mean they might be looking to review their fares again.”

There was also discussion about the lack of an equality impact assessment in the report, but Cllr Thomson gave a summary of the report’s findings: “There maybe a financial impact on those with a lower income due to age or state pensions only. With regard to disability there may be an impact on those with long term disabilities who may use taxi services more regularly.”

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IDFIMH

You wait 12 years for a fare rise.

And then you get one during the worst period for the cab trade in 100 years.

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IDFIMH

WTF votes for these thickos?

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IDFIMH

Suspect there's more chance of me developing a Covid vaccine while I'm sitting on the rank tomorrow night

Seen some ridiculous decisions over the years, but this must rank as one of the worst (excuse pun).

Would be ridiculous at any time, but *now*?

I'm sure somewhere along the line a trade representative was pestering councillors to give the trade a rise. But if the sympathy card is played by the drivers the punters might accept the rise and that could mean more money coming in for the drivers.

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Who quotes rises in Kilometres and how can they say there is no rise between 11pm and 7am when the "usual rates" have gone up? However, we put our rates up last year but did a discount at the start of the pandemic before we had to close. When we opened again on July 1st we stopped giving the discount and only one passenger even mentioned it and he still uses us on most days. We are currently at 82.7% of the pre covid level without adding in the school transport.

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Grandad,

I think it was 10 years since our last increase and that was poor.