Taxi Driver Online

Cab drivers face licence fee hike

Hard-up cabbies will be forced to shell out an extra £43 for their licences from next month. Reading Borough Council’s licensing committee voted on Tuesday to increase the fee for black cabs from £250 to £293 for one year.

This money will fund a Government study to assess the level of demand for taxis in the borough following the council’s decision to freeze the issuing of new plates for 12 months. There are currently 214 Hackney Carriage drivers in Reading – up more than 40 per cent in the last two years.

In March, councillors introduced a limit on the number of taxi licenses on offer after drivers complained there was no room on the ranks for more. To do this the council had to agree, by law, to carry out a survey of drivers to see if they are meeting the demand – at a cost of £10,000.

The research will be carried out between October and December and the council will then review its decision to cap license numbers in March 2010. Drivers at the meeting accepted they should pay for the statutory survey through their annual licence fees, but wanted a greater say on when and how it was carried out.

Tahir Abdullah, acting chairman of Reading Cab Drivers Association, said: “Drivers are paying for the survey so they should have more say. “The first time it was done it suggested eight more [licenses], but the council ended up giving out 60 more. As long as, this time, the council goes with what the survey says, it is fine with us.”

But Councillor Terry Byrne told the meeting their decision would be made for the benefit of “the taxi trade and the people of Reading”. “We are not coming from one side or another,” he said.

“You guys wanted a limit on the number of plates so we are required by law to carry out a survey so we can decide whether to stick with this limitation or not. “There is no point putting out more badges if there is no demand.”

Chairman of the committee Councillor Peter Jones said: “The survey could say there is an unmet demand but economic conditions suggest there is no need for extra taxis.”

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IDFIMH

Not quite sure that's how the law goes.

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IDFIMH

Yes, but Tahir is only acting as chairman; so he does not understand these things, because he's acting!!

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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