Council taxi fare estimates 'all wrong', cabbies sayTAXI fares for short journeys in Guildford will not be decreased in time for Christmas following further disagreements between Guildford Borough Council’s licensing committee and drivers.
A new fare structure is being proposed based on the London system. This would mean that fares would not have to be reviewed each year. Drivers, however, say the council’s estimations of ‘dead time’, when cars are not carrying a passenger, and average journey distance are not accurate.
The proposed system would have meant cheaper fares for short journeys, which drivers said make up most of their business. They said they would be left severely out of pocket if the proposed changes had been implemented.
Some drivers have now been sent a letter asking them to provide information by Friday so that a revised proposal can be presented to the committee in December, before going to the executive in January.
Cllr Richard Billington, lead member for community safety and health, said: “We are trying to introduce a very fair system that’s good for the taxis and good for customers.
“I think there is good will from all sides.
“The methodology shouldn’t really be in doubt because that is the London taxi model and that’s the only model going.”
Mark Rostron, vice-chairman and secretary of Guildford Hackney Association, said that the council should have consulted with drivers before making their calculations.
“They took a formula for calculating taxi fares and they tried to fit in numbers they thought were appropriate for journeys.
“The view from the trade in Guildford was that those were all wrong,” he said.
“It is all very late in the day. I doubt they are going to get the letters back from drivers.”
He said that the tariffs would have been disastrous for drivers.
At present drivers can add a £1 fuel surcharge onto fares.
The proposed scheme abandons this and sets a maximum charge of £3 for the first half mile, with 30p for each 220 yards thereafter.
Drivers are also able to charge an extra 50p for each passenger in excess of one.
The proposed scheme allows 50p for each passenger in excess of four, meaning that drivers of saloon cars would receive no extra money.
“The charges they were proposing would have meant a 20% reduction in fares on the short journeys,” said Mr Rostron.
“Our average journey is the station to the hospital and on those fares we would have had a 20% reduction.
“It means we can carry on eking out a living over the Christmas period.
“It would have been catastrophic.
“The thing is they seem to want to reinvent the wheel.
“We are happy to work with the council. I wish they would consult more.”
Cllr David Elms who chairs the licensing committee said: “At the last meeting we gave everybody the opportunity to speak so the lead member was able to go back and discuss that in depth with the licensing department and we hope to put forward by the middle of next month.
“I am most certainly optimistic and it is our resolve that we will try to get a difficult issue solved.”
source:
http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/21251 ... abbies_say
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