Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers face 72% increase in cost of licences

PLANS for inflation-busting price hikes in the cost of licences for the Island’s taxi drivers and zoos are set to be put under the microscope by licensing chiefs at the IW Council on Tuesday.

If they are given the go-ahead, taxi drivers face an increase of 72.4 per cent for a licence, while the cost of issuing a fresh licence to a zoo operator will rise from £774 to £1,360—a rise of 75.7 per cent. The cost of renewing a zoo licence will also go up by 5.5 per cent from £900 to £950.

In June this year, members of the committee agreed to defer a decision to increase the fees until each zoo operator on the IW had been consulted. However, there have been no replies to the consultation letter sent out to zoo operators, according to a report which members of the committee will discuss on Tuesday.

Other planned fee increases due to be discussed by the committee will be controversial new charges affecting hackney carriage and private hire taxi firms.

The cost of granting a driver’s licence is set to soar from £58 to £100.
Other increases include granting a hackney carriage vehicle licence, which is set to rise from £228 to £270, an increase of 15.5 per cent, and the cost of a private hire owner’s licence, which is due to go up from £145 to £180—an increase of 24.1 per cent.

An identical 97 objection letters to the increases were submitted by taxi operators. They say the increases are excessive and well above inflation.

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IDFIMH

Indeed, but surely someone must have pointed out that the driver's license increase is more than likely illegal.

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IDFIMH

I hope some of those objectors appeal to the Ombudsman and/or the District Auditor.

http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/news/council ... 34551.aspx

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IDFIMH