Taxi Driver Online

Spot the clanger in the first paragraph

Anyway, the T3 increase from midnight is the obvious stand out here. Maybe they'll get away with it mid-summer, not so sure about mid-winter


Scarborough’s taxi fares could go up by 17 per cent under new plans – the first time in four years

https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/ne ... rs-3817629

Taxi fares in Scarborough could soon rise between 17 and 33 per cent after a new increase was proposed for the first time in four years

Scarborough Council has agreed to debate the Scarborough and District Taxi Association’s request for fare increases on private hire vehicles across the borough.

Councillors on the authority’s licensing committee will decide whether to approve the proposals at a special meeting on Thursday September 1.

The Taxi Association proposes a 17 per cent raise for a two-mile journey between 6am and 9pm – from £6.60 to £7.72.

Journeys between 9pm and midnight would also rise by 22 per cent from £6.80 to £8.32, according to the plans.

The largest increase would be to fares between midnight and 6am from £7.20 to £9.35 – rising by 33 per cent.

A report prepared by council officers, which will be presented to councillors, said the plans are “consider[ed], on the whole, to be reasonable”.

If approved, the fare increases would come into effect in October, although there will be a two-week consultation period following the decision where members of the public can raise their opinion.

According to the report, Scarborough is facing a shortage of taxi drivers, adding that “a balance has to be struck between making fares affordable to members of the public” and also ensuring “the financial viability of [taxi] operators and drivers".

Taxi fares were last increased in 2018 when they rose between 10 per cent and 22 per cent.

In his report, Council Director Paul Thompson said costs have increased significantly for taxi operators since 2018: “During that time global energy prices have risen sharply, and in the 12 months up to July 2022 petrol and oil prices in the UK have increased by 46.8 per cent.”

Some aspects of the Taxi Association’s request, such as a booking fee increase, were removed with a new alternative mileage calculation included “to be fairer to those members of the public who may need to book from a distance away from the town centres”.

Additionally, “charges for carrying items necessary to support disabled travellers have been removed as such charges are now illegal”.

If approved, the new fares will be in effect until at least April 2023 when the new North Yorkshire Council will set fares for the whole county.

Spotted. I wonder whose clanger it is? The reporter or the Council?

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Grandad,

surely no council could be that stupid whereas a journo doing no research and having no knowledge of what he/she are writing about well....

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

Another council that thinks quite hefty rises are 'reasonable'

And it's the bread and butter runs that seem to be going up most - 34 per cent on a one-mile run

And looks like we get chapter and verse on the T1 runs, but no mention of the other tariffs at all

Anyway, it's not as if the fares here are particularly hefty, even after the rise, so on their own heads be it...


Newport taxi fares rising as council agrees to new prices

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/ ... ew-prices/

TAXI fares in Newport could rise by more than a third for some journeys after the council is set to launch a consultation on new prices.

Earlier this year, drivers told the Argus how they were “struggling” with price of fuel and the cost of living crisis.

Unlike taxi firms, which can set their own prices, hackney carriage drivers – who drive and maintain their own vehicles – must follow meter rates set centrally by the city council, which haven’t been increased since 2015.

A council report will be presented on Thursday, August 25. In the report, the licencing manager said the fare increases were “reasonable”, and that a consultation is expected to be launched shortly.

Under the proposed changes, the cost of a one-mile fare would rise 34.21 per cent, from £3.80 to £5.10.

A two-mile journey would now cost £6.90, a 25.45 per cent rise on the current price of £5.50.

Three-mile trips would rise from £7.10 to £8.60 (a 21.12 per cent rise), while fares would rise from £8.70 to £10.40 (19.54 per cent) for journeys of four miles.

The planned increase for five-mile journeys is from £10.40 to £12.20 (a 17.3 per cent rise).

For 10-mile journeys, fares would rise 13.51 per cent from £18.50 to £21, while 15-mile fares would cost £29.80, an 11.61 per cent rise on the current price of £26.70.

The report said average fuel prices in Wales in February 2018 were 121.4 pence per litre for petrol and 124.2 pence per litre for diesel. In March 2022, the average prices are 162.2 pence per litre for petrol and 172.8 pence per litre for diesel.

A meeting was held with Newport Hackney Carriage Association and the council’s licensing manager in October last year, and the licensing manager agreed an increase after seven years was reasonable.

A further meeting took place on March 21, and after “continued significant financial difficulties” faced by drivers, a revised proposal was discussed.

“The council determined the existing ‘table of fares’ in December 2015, and no amendments have been made since that time.,” said the report.

“It seems reasonable that the council should now consider an increase.”

The report continued: “In light of all these pressures, the licensing manager feels the request from the trade to increase the fares is reasonable and should be the subject of consultation to seek the views of the broader trade and travelling members of the public who use hackney carriage vehicles.”

OK, let's accept that by 'taxi firms' the author means PH operators, as opposed to the HC trade.

Why, then, does the headline and opening paragraph refer to 'taxi fares'. Surely it should be 'hackney carriage fares'?

I think the shorter distances are getting the higher % increases due to the flag increasing in many areas.

After quite a kerfuffle, with some Green councillors, when the B&H trade had their last increase, the Greens now appear to be in favour of another increase including an extra pound on the flag.

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IDFIMH

Looks like this was basically rubber-stamped, although can't be bothered wading through all the details again.


Scarborough borough's taxi fares to rise for the first time in four years to help struggling drivers with cost of living crisis

https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/ne ... is-3836658

Taxi fares in Scarborough borough will rise for the first time in four years after the council’s licensing committee approved a price increase – with changes set to take effect in October.

At a special meeting of the licensing committee on September 1, councillors voted unanimously in favour of the plans that were described as a “fair fare increase” by the chair of the committee, Cllr Stewart Campbell.

The decision will see fares in the borough rise between 17 and 30 per cent, with the Taxi Association and councillors citing the rising cost of fuel and living.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Jane Mortimer, vice-chair of the committee, said: “This is the best time for considering it as the cost of living has gone up exponentially and the cost of diesel has just rocketed.

She added: “This seems to me to be a fair balance between [drivers and passengers] and I think this is something we’ll need to review again.

“As long as we’re fair to both sides and ensure we have hackney carriages at night, if this will enable that to happen, then this is a good balance between the two and I propose we accept that.”

The committee approved the Scarborough and District Taxi Association’s request for a 17 per cent increase for a two-mile journey between 6am and 9pm – from £6.60 to £7.72.

Journeys between 9pm and midnight will also rise by 22 per cent from £6.80 to £8.32, according to the plans.

The largest increase will affect fares between midnight and 6am from £7.20 to £9.35 – rising by 30 per cent.

A council officer presenting the proposed changes said: “The trade wanted me to stress that these fares are maximum and if they have regular customers with an agreed fare, they are free to charge any fare less than their meter fare at any time.”

According to a report presented to the committee, Scarborough is facing a shortage of taxi drivers, with the view that “a balance has to be struck between making fares affordable to members of the public” and also ensuring “the financial viability of [taxi] operators and drivers”.

Instead of approving the Taxi Association’s proposals for a booking fee increase, a new alternative and optional mileage calculation will be included, while taxi drivers are also free to choose whether they charge one pound extra per passenger.

Recent changes in national legislation also mean that fees associated with “any device” that assists a disabled person “must not be charged for” including wheelchairs and luggage.

The changes are set to come into effect on October 1 if no valid objections are received in the next 14 days.

Scarborough Council is legally required to advertise the fare increase and councillors will need to consider any objections made by members of the public.

Well the booking fee substitute thing is as clear as mud.

As for drivers choosing whether or not to charge the £1 per passenger, might as well headline these articles by saying that fares are going up, but drivers can still give freebies if they want

Do like the tiered increase.

Normal (ish) increase for the run-of-the-mill work, and larger increase for the unsociable hours' work.

I just wish more drivers in my manor understood that. Well apart from Uber drivers that is.

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IDFIMH

Never liked booking fees, and never will.

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IDFIMH

Then they pull drivers up for having POB without the meter activated

And at a rough guess I'd say the 33% T3 hike that the council considers reasonable will in fact mean a lot more off-meter runs

(Yes, I know the meter has to be activated irrespective of any discount, but I live in the real world, not that of council agendas, committee meetings and equality impact assessments, blah, blah )