Taxi Driver Online

Certainly plenty information here, but perhaps too much detail...

Not sure about the legal process here, though. Makes it sound like the HCA's request had to be implemented unless there were objections from the public, which I doubt is strictly true

Unusually in an article like this, though, there are also comparisons with private hire fares

Makes a change from the PHTM comparisons, at least, but they come towards the end


Taxi fares in Milton Keynes to rise over cost of living crisis and fuel price increases

https://www.buckinghamshirelive.com/new ... se-7428255

The council could face legal action if it doesn't implement the increase

Passengers in Hackney Carriages in Milton Keynes face paying more for their journeys. Fares are set to increase for the first time in a decade as companies claim the rise in running costs have impacted their business.

The move is the result of a formal request from the taxi companies. The Milton Keynes Taxi Association has told councillors that a rise in fares of up to 20 per cent is needed to offset the impact of the cost of living crisis, fuel prices and the lack of a rise since 2012.

Milton Keynes Council launched a public consultation but because no formal objections were received, the authority is unable to reject the plans. Doing so would leave it open to legal action.

According to council documents, a hackney carriage owner contacted MK Council to say that the cost of buying and maintaining second-hand vehicles is also a factor. The move will affect all three tariffs used by hackney carriage operators in the area.

Currently, under the first tariff - which applies between 6am to 10pm Monday to Saturday - a journey from Milton Keynes Central train station to Newport Pagnell costs around £14.20 in a Hackney Carriage. This is more than the average private hire fare of £10, taken from three operators.

The same journey costs £17.72 under the second tariff, which applies between 10pm to 6am Mondays to Sunday mornings, all day Sunday and Bank Holidays from 6am to 10pm. It costs £24.25 under the third tariff, which applies from 10pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on December 27.

The third tariff is also applicable between 10pm on New Year's Eve and 6am on January 1. But the new increase could see Hackney Carriages charge more than twice the average private hire fare during the holiday season.

Under the new proposals, the journey from Milton Keynes Central station to Newport Pagnell would cost £17.04 under the first tariff, £19.49 under the second and £26.68 under the third tariff. The average private hire fare under the third tariff is £11.66.

A report prepared by Milton Keynes Council's taxi licensing team explains that only five councils in the UK allow Hackney Carriages to set their own fares. It reads: "The Milton Keynes Taxi Association has formally requested that the current Table of Fares for Hackney Carriages be increased by 20 per cent on Tariff 1 (day) and 10 per cent on Tariff 2(night).

"Their reasoning is based on increases in the cost of living and fuel; and having fare increase since 2012. A public consultation has been completed and no formal objections were received therefore council officers cannot reject this variation to the Hackney Carriage Table of Fares.

"Hackney Carriage proprietors are self-employed business people who are regulated by local authorities. Under Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 the Council is permitted to fix the rate of fares for hackney carriage vehicles.

The law allows councils to do this because of the monopoly position that hackney carriages have on taxi ranks. On April 22 a hackney carriage proprietor requested that the council increase hackney carriage fares by 20 per cent due to the cost of living; fuel prices; cost of second-hand vehicles and maintenance; and hackney carriage fares have not been increased since 2012.

All hackney carriage proprietors (186)were contacted and asked if they supported a taxi fare increase of 20 per cent. 24 proprietors responded with 18 in favour and 6 against.

"However, six hackney carriage proprietors did oppose a 20 per cent increase on all tariffs during an informal consultation carried out by officers in May 2022." The rises will see Milton Keynes jump from its current position as the 201st most expensive area for fares out of 350 council areas in the UK.

Instead, the new fares will place Milton Keynes as the joint 32nd highest in the UK. The decision is set to be ratified by the authority on Tuesday, August 9.

Somehow I doubt that's a reasonable comparison.

But interesting how the article compares the HC tariffs with PH fares, whether or not they're representative comparisons.

But this reflects with Rashid was saying on here a couple of weeks ago about about the difference between HC and PH fares in MK, and how the two sectors compete.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38347&p=419715#p419718

So I'd guess this latest increase will merely increase the gap between the HC and PH fares, so whether the whole increase will feed through to HC turnover is questionable, even if it's the first uplift in ten years

But it looks like it's just T1 that's going up 20%. T2 and T3 work out at bang on 10%.

But a £14 run on T1 increasing to around £17 in one go is quite a leap, particularly if competition from PH operators is so fierce, and in view of the cost of living crisis

And from 201st in the PHTM table to 32nd is also quite a leap up the charts. I mean, if MK is 201st at the moment, what on earth are the PH firms charging?

why are those calculations showing odd pennies ? surely the meters tick up in 10p or 15p jumps

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

Well maybe they do go up by pennies, like Dundee, for example

Either that or they just work out a mileage charge and apply it to sample distances, so it's not bang on what's shown on the meter, but it's close enough for comparison purposes

Eg, ours cranks up 20p every 150 yards on T1, so you could work that out as £2.34 for the running mile, but of course the 20p will actually click up before and after the precise mile.

But using the £2.34 approximation for the running mile is close enough, on longer trips at least

Currently Skyline, Speedline Biggest private hire firm, Charge £3.70 First Mile & £1.10 per mile therefor with a £2 surcharge on top after midnight.

when I started working for them used to be £2.50 First mile & 90p-£1 per miles, Then it changed to £3.00 first 1.5 Miles & £1.10 per mile & only went to current rate around 5 years ago after drivers protested for min £5.

We’re currently going through a three week consultation period that’s been sent out to all H/C’s licensed in the Chester zone (approx 200) The association, after consulting with the trade, has asked for an extra 40p on the start rate and 10% on the mileage on all tariff’s. This was voted for by 94% of the trade surveyed. There is also a consultation on making card payments mandatory, there are far too many drivers ‘cherry picking’ jobs via this payment method and it’s causing some very heated and unprofessional (although somewhat understandable) arguments on the ranks.
The council has also asked our views on trying to entice more drivers out in the early evening as well (5-7pm) as occasionally there has been a lack of cabs available on the station rank around this time. One suggestion has been to bring T2 in earlier from 10pm to 6 or 7 pm, what are your thought on this ?

If there are no objections the fare rise is deemed to be passed.

Legally drivers could get their meters changed straight away.

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IDFIMH

I suspect the PH trade will increase their rates pro rata.

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IDFIMH

What is the T2 rate?

If it's a fixed amount, say £1, then I can't see an issue after the first few weeks.

If it's meter and a half I expect many will source their cars elsewhere.

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IDFIMH

T2 is T1 plus 12.5%. Our T1 prices are very similar (and at peak times cheaper) than the biggest PH firm. They have a sort of fixed surge pricing structure at peak times.

I doubt moving that rate to 6/7pm will cause that much of a kerfuffle.

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IDFIMH

Neither do I. The consensus to be 7pm.

What I meant at the top of the thread was that this makes it sound like the council were duty bound to implement the HCA's request.

But, as Sussex alluded, it's presumably more a case of once the numbers had been accepted and put out to consultation, when no objections were received then at that stage they're legally bound to implement the figures.

But, as Nuneaton demonstrates, I think, there's no obligation to accept the numbers proposed by the HCA in the first place. This article kind of makes it sound like the council are duty bound to consult on the HCAs proposals, and if there's no objections then that's the new tariff.