Quite a lot in here, but the proposed fees don't look particularly big in the grand scheme of things and, as per the article, the reason for the yo-yoing levels is because a few years ago Rossendale was the HC equivalent of what Wolverhampton is now in respect of PHVs, but they had to rein that back. So at one point they obviously benefited from economies of scale which have now been lost, hence the fees yo-yoing.
And the impact of the Manc CAZ stuff is a bit unclear (don't think Rossendale is part of it), but you'd really need to know the local geography and trade working practices to appreciate the points being made.
But obviously as NPHTA secretary, Mr Lawrie has a few competing interests to reconcile. I mean, he's also banging the driver shortage drum...
Rossendale taxi drivers' fury over fees increase adding insult to injuryhttps://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire- ... r-23133461Council chiefs point out that most of the proposed fees remain lower than they were before they were cut in 2015.
Image: LancsLiveA Valley taxi chief says large hikes in taxi licence fees “add insult to injury” on the back of Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ).
David Pawlaszek-Lawrie has hit out at a ‘lack of consultation’ with the trade on the proposed rises of up to 38 per cent, adding that industrial action cannot be ruled out should they be approved.
Rossendale council’s annual budget includes proposals to increase drivers’ licence charges from £185 to £223 for three years, annual vehicle licences from £140 to £178, and five-year private hire operator’s licences from £300 to £413.
A former chairman of Rossendale Taxi Association and now director of the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, Mr Lawrie says cabbies already reeling from the “absolutely diabolical” CAZ charges are now asked to “absorb” inflation-busting licence rises without the means to pass on increases. Hackney Carriage fares are set by local authorities.
Council chiefs point out that most of the proposed fees remain lower than they were before they were cut in 2015.
Five years ago hundreds of Valley taxi drivers took strike action after council bosses voted through a package of 40 changes to licensing rules in order to crack down on the number of ‘out of town’ taxis operating with Rossendale licences.
Mr Lawrie said: “This has added insult to injury. When you consider Rossendale council were granted millions of pounds through Covid and they released not one penny of it to the taxi trade.
“There’s also drivers struggling to replace their cars due to zero government support.
“The only reason that the fees dropped five or six years ago is because Rossendale council were handing out licences like nobody’s business and they had thousands of driver licences.
“They had to drop the fees they were charging as it’s unlawful for the council to make a profit out of licensing fees.”
Mr Lawrie says the only way the council can justify the rises is by also putting up fares, which he says could impact public safety, for instance with people opting to walk home late at night.
“We have got a massive shortage of drivers; not just within Rossendale but nationwide,” he said.
“We have got drivers being attacked because passengers are having to wait longer.
“They’re frustrated and irate.
“As it stands right now nobody has come to me and asked me to launch industrial action or strike action.
“That’s not to say they won’t once they get wind of it.”
Despite being delayed until July for revisions, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s controversial CAZ casts a long shadow.
Rossendale’s Alyson Barnes was one of four council leaders to write to Mayor Andy Burnham earlier this month sharing “deep concerns” over its “unfair and disproportionate impact” on Lancashire businesses, stating that most of the taxi fleet would be impacted.
The letter stated: “No government funding has been made available to upgrade vehicles that depend on Greater Manchester for their business and who contribute to the Greater Manchester economy. Many of our local taxi drivers live in Greater Manchester and will have to pay the charge daily to come to work in Rossendale.”
Mr Lawrie added that the zone could see non-compliant cabbies facing huge penalty charges on top of the £7.50 daily fees, while commercial traffic would be diverted through the Valley rather than going through Healey Corner to pick up the motorway, causing chaos.
The report to licensing states that fees have remained at the level since November 2015, and the proposed changes reflected a “cost analysis” of fees and costs completed by Grant Thornton, acting for the Audit Commission.
It adds that grants were paid to existing licence holders to subsidise the cost of complying with the mandatory fitting of CCTV in taxis and private hire vehicles.
Coun Steve Hughes, cabinet member for communities, said: “The fees have remained the same since 2015 and I think [the rises are] a reflection of the fact that it’s stayed so low for a long period of time.
“It’s still lower than most areas in the region and I think the council has clearly had significant cost increases. Licensing isn’t an area that we can make a profit on - nor can it make a loss.”
He added: “The fees are subject to a 28-day statutory consultation process.
“This is the way it happens all the time.
“We take a decision on fares subject to a consultation period.
“If a request from the trade to review the fares comes in we will absolutely do that.
“We will work with them to make sure it’s fair both from the public and trade perspective.”
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