I got somewhere with them then.
| Taxi Driver Online http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/ |
|
| Fee increases 2014 http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23215 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | mancityfan [ Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Fee increases 2014 |
It's that time of year when councils put up fees,? Here's Melton's report 3.8 Licensing – Hackney Carriage / Private Hire 3.8.1 The licensing of taxis and drivers is considered to be a service which, under the Charging Policy, should achieve cost recovery. Historically, the fees and charges have not reflected cost recovery and therefore this objective is not being met, with full cost recovery estimated to require an increase of over 400%. 3.8.2 However, Members will recall that fees set in 2013/14 did not cover the cost of their enforcement. This was on the basis that the enforcement of licences is principally for the benefit of the wider public and as such a case exists that licence applicants should not support this activity, i.e. that the fee charged should equate solely to the costs associated with acquiring a licence. On the basis that enforcement costs are excluded, the shortfall in fees to achieve cost recovery falls to an increase of 100%. 3.8.3 Members will also recall that an increase of 25% was agreed as an approach that balances the requirements of the charging policy with a sum reasonable to service users. It is proposed that a similar increase is provisionally agreed for 2014/15, for the same reasons. This, in combination with the increases made this year, would increase the proportion of ‘cost recovery’ to around 66%. 3.8.4 However, Taxi drivers advise that their main objection to charges is that the evidence to support the charges for licenses is questionable. They understand that it is a proportion of the overall costs of the Licensing budget but consider this to be inadequate because: • They do not register or record the actual time taken to produce a badge or distinguish between the different elements of work carried out to directly or indirectly support this activity. • The time recording figures are out of date, dating back to 2008 and there is no evidence to confirm the view that they remain accurate in 2013/14. Drivers will be happy to pay fees that are a true reflection of costs incurred, but until this is proven there remains objection to the level of fees and any proposed increase(s). 3.8.5 The Committee is advised that the appropriate legislation (s 53 and s70 of the Local Government (Misc. Provisions) Act 1976) provides the remit for the setting of charges and makes separate provision for Operator’s, Driver’s and vehicle licences. Accordingly, the approach of assigning 40% of costs to the overall Licensing function – whilst of merit in terms of the ‘ringfencing’ the taxi licensing element of the function form the remaining licensing activity – is not considered to be sufficiently detailed to determine how much resource each of the types of the licences demands and, in turn, how costs should be apportioned. This issue is also a matter of legal challenge elsewhere in the country and it is considered beneficial to ensure the basis for calculation is as robust as possible. 3.8.6 It is therefore considered that detailed time recording is necessary to determine the correct proportion. It is therefore recommended that setting of the charges is postponed until a sample period of time recording has taken place which addresses in more detail the demands made on resources (and therefore recoverable costs, under s53 and s70) of the individual types of licences for the ‘Q3’ period (October – December 2013) and that the Committee revisits this issue after that has taken place, in order to be able to set fees on a better informed basis. Accordingly, it is recommended that the increase described above is provisionally set, and that the results of time recording and cost apportionment is then used to verify or adjust the fees. |
|
| Author: | grandad [ Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fee increases 2014 |
I got somewhere with them then.
|
|
| Author: | Sussex [ Thu Oct 17, 2013 11:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Fee increases 2014 |
grandad wrote: I got somewhere with them then. Well done. 
|
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|