Taxi Driver Online

No, it's about fares, not fees

This really should be quite straightforward, and there's not much to see in terms of substance.

Except that it's another good opportunity to play spot-the-clanger


North Ayrshire taxi fares hike of 10 per cent goes ahead

https://www.ardrossanherald.com/news/23 ... oes-ahead/

TAXI fares are going up by more than 10 per cent after the move was agreed by North Ayrshire councillors.

The proposals, agreed at a meeting of the council's licensing committee on Monday, will see the tariffs going up from £3.20 for the first three quarters of a mile up until midnight to £3.50, and from £3.50 for the first three quarters of a mile to £4 after midnight.

The cost of living crisis has caused an increase in fuel costs for cabbies.

A consultation was organised with members of the public over the proposals after plans for an increase were agreed in August.

Chair Eleanor Collier said: “Some people were asking for more increases but others were saying they were too high.

“There are unprecedented inflationary pressures on taxis, not just in terms of fuel costs, but also running costs.

“We need to have that balance between making it worthwhile to be a taxi driver whilst looking at the concerns of the taxi companies and drivers who don’t want us to overcharge.

“We felt that fares had to go up at 10 per cent for the daytime tariff which is the rate of inflation of 10 per cent and which we thought was fair.

“The other tariff went up slightly higher because we found in consultation that less people were working at night and we had to make it worth their while.”

Garnock Valley councillor Donald L Reid said drivers were entitled to not charge less if they wished but added that with inflation at more than 10 per cent that had to be taken into account and it was right to go ahead with the new fares.

The new charges will be implemented on November 21.

Maybe it's just me, but couldn't this be expressed a bit more clearly? Had to read it carefully a couple of times to make sense of it.

How about: "Before midnight the fare for the first three quarters of a mile will increase from £3.20 to £3.50", etc, etc


Councillors 'overcharging'?

Makes it sound like councillors are on the streets asking passengers for the fares, not the drivers. And that they're charging more than the legal fare. I think she actually just means that councillors shouldn't be setting fares at too high a rate. 'Overcharge' is not a good word in this context.


Um, I don't think the word 'not' should be there, so the meaning it totally the opposite to what it should be

And, on a political point, I thought the correct terminology in Scotland was 'convener' rather than 'chair'.

Not that it bothers me, because like Scottish banknotes and the like, it's potentially likely to confuse in some scenarios.

But some Scottish nationalists take grave offence at stuff like that

Mind you, I doubt if any of them who would froth at the mouth about stuff like chair v convener would notice the likes of a PHV in England being a PHC in Scotland, at least in terms of using the correct terminology in the legislation

(And let's not get started on chairman/woman etc. Which is perhaps why the article settles simply for 'chair'. At least the term 'convener' is, er, non-binary )

Someone's appealed to the Traffic Commissioner, so it's all on hold, presumably until a hearing has taken place

(Or I think the appeal could be rejected on procedural grounds and no hearing would take place, which can happen, but the process is very complex and that stage may have been considered already before it's decided that the Traffic Commissioner will actually hear the appeal and it's then all put on hold )

Of course, for viewers down south, this is a uniquely Scottish procedure, and the Traffic Commissioner has no other involvement in trade regulation and licensing.

And, for what it's worth, we've all just received our letter from Fife Council here saying that "there have been no appeals received by the Traffic Commissioner" and "the new scales will take effect from 5 December 2022, and your meter requires to be calibrated accordingly".


North Ayrshire taxi fare price increase put on hold

https://www.ardrossanherald.com/news/23 ... -put-hold/

THE introduction of increased taxi fares in North Ayrshire has been suspended.

It comes after the decision to hike prices by more than 10 per cent was appealed by an operator.

The proposals were initially by North Ayrshire Council's licensing committee in October.

These would have seen tariffs increased from £3.20 to £3.50 for the first three quarters of a mile up until midnight, and from £3.50 to £4 for the first three quarters of a mile after midnight.

The tariff increase was to align with the cost of living crisis, which has seen an increase in fuel costs for cabbies.

These new fares were due to be implemented from Monday, November 21.

But the council has now warned taxi drivers not to have their meters recalibrated to the new scales.

A spokesperson said: "Because an operator has appealed to the Traffic Commissioner the 'new' Scales are suspended. This is a legal rule and there is nothing the council can do about it."

There is now a realistic possibility that the new tariffs will now not be in place before the busy Christmas and New Year period.