Taxi Driver Online

Not much detail on the fares here, but several different issues covered, although the other stuff not particularly interesting for regulars. However, although not much information on the actual fare uplift, lots of interesting stuff about tariffs more generally (see also posts below).

One interesting thing is that Dumfries & Galloway has a 1.5 miles flagfall distance

Which helps explain the high flagfall charge, previously £4.50 on T1, now £5.50. Which is a lot for a short hop, but not much for a mile-and-a-half. And only £2 per running mile, and that's cranking up at £1 per half mile

And only £1 extra for T2, which starts at midnight

So a real pi$$-takers charter that one, and I certainly wouldn't want a tariff with that kind of structure, even ignoring the actual fares.


Taxi fares are to increase in Dumfries and Galloway

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/loca ... y-28678034

The starting fare for passengers is roughly 20% more following the first fees hike in 15 years

The taxi trade in Dumfries and Galloway is set for a shake-up after being hit hard by the pandemic.

Taxi fares will increase from £4.50 to £5.50 for the first mile and a half after Dumfries and Galloway Council agreed to drive up charges from March 1, 2023.

This is the first price hike in 15 years and comes following increased costs in fuel and other charges.

However, the council is revving up for more changes due to many drivers leaving the trade and “very low” numbers of wheelchair accessible vehicles.

All these issues were raised at the council’s communities committee on Tuesday when councillors agreed to set the new maximum starting taxi fare at £5.50.

Abbey Councillor Kim Lowe highlighted concerns about disabled people struggling to find transport due to a shortage of wheelchair accessible vehicles in this region.

Council solicitor Caroline Treanor admitted: “We do accept that it’s a very, very low number. We’re actually now looking to undertake a wholesale review, looking not just at the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles and whether our numbers meet the demand, but also in terms of generally having sufficient numbers of taxis throughout the region.

“It is going to be a huge project. The starting point is going out to ascertain the cost implications to instruct an external provider to look at a whole taxi demand survey, including crucially whether we need to increase wheelchair accessible vehicle numbers – which I think we all know that we do.

“It’s something that we are kickstarting now, but it is going to be a lengthy process.”

The council legal chief also spoke about how the taxi trade in the area has been hit hard during and after the pandemic.

She said: “Certainly there’s no doubt that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the number of taxi drivers perhaps leaving the trade because of the decimation of the night time economy.

“When a driver has a taxi driver licence we cannot oblige him or her to undertake work.”

The council consulted the local taxi trade before increasing fares and the majority of drivers were in favour of the move.

Nineteen out of 27 drivers who took part in the survey called for the maximum fare structure be increased due to the cost of living, rising costs of fuel, and running their vehicles. The other eight respondents wanted no changes.

Worth having a quick read at the tariff card, because it's more informal than the legalistic style of the usual cards.

It's also unusual in that it underlines that the fares are maximums, and that a lesser charge can be made, or discounts offered.

The extras and other charges are also expressed in terms of 'may be' and 'can be' charged, to underline that the charges are maximums or optional.

(Or at least I'm assuming this is the same as the tariff card displayed in the vehicles, but maybe that's in a different style.)

https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/taxifares

Wording for the soiling charge is also unusual and quite specific as regards when it applies.

Also interesting is the caveat regarding 'genuine medical conditions'

Presumably the implication there is that someone throwing up due to alcohol poisoning isn't a 'genuine medical condition'



The pre-booking fee also interesting in that it's open-ended cost-wise. I think it's the same in Fife, but it's not on the tariff card



Most bizarrely, the timings for the Festive Season premiums are specified, but looks like the charge is completely open-ended (with the proviso that it must be agreed up-front)

.

Even more bizarrely, was so distracted by all the other odd stuff, forgot that early in the article it says this is the first 'hike' for 15 years. But according to the PHTM tables, the last rise was in 2018. So it's maybe an error, and it's supposed to read five years:

https://www.phtm.co.uk/taxi-fares-leagu ... &rise=2018

And exactly what has that got to do with the taxi fare review?

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IDFIMH

Love the DIY taxi fares.

Really not sure about the legality of that.

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IDFIMH

Yes, the legislation seems to imply that some sort of price will be set, such that it can't be exceeded by the driver. An open-ended process during the Festive Season doesn't seem consistent with that, but probably little chance of anyone challenging it.


https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1982/45/section/17

By the way, while sharp-eyed readers will have noticed , I should have said yesterday that the reason it looked like a five-year gap rather than 15 years since the last fare rise was because the new fares don't apply until March 2023, thus that would mean a five year gap if PHTM is correct in saying the last rise was in 2018.

That's our times as well, we have had this on the tariff sheet and its on the meters , basically a fare and a half

But we are being told, or it's being implied, that during those times drivers can please themselves.

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IDFIMH