Burton taxi firms anger at licence fee hikesTAXI firms across Burton have reacted angrily after it was agreed to hike licence fees by almost 50 per cent.
One taxi company said the move by East Staffordshire Borough Council was like ‘trying to get blood from a stone’.
The licensing committee at the borough council has agreed the setting of licensing fees and charges for 2013/14 and included are ‘significant’ increases to the cost of renewing taxi licences.
The fee for renewing licenses for private hire and hackney carriage drivers will rise from £95.70 to £145 annually – an increase of £49.30.
Councillors on the committee were given the option of phasing the rise in over three years, but decided rather to make the increase immediately.
Amjab Hussain, from 57 Taxis, told the Mail: “The driver’s are quite furious – they are really angry.
“The increases are not just five or 10 per cent but nearly 50 per cent.
“Obviously they have to make some money so it will have to go on to the customer.”
Mohammed Hussain, from Branston Taxis, said: “If they could have made it over three years it would not have been so bad but just to do it one go is really, really unfair.
“I think the public will have to pay which will not go down well.”
Mimtiaz Talib, from Station Taxis, said he was ‘appalled’ and disgusted’.
He said: “Obviously people are just pleased to have their jobs the way things are going but they (the council) are just pushing us right to the wall.”
A report to the committee said that no changes would have meant taxpayers having to subsidise the fees by £27,000 per year.
Chairman Councillor Jacqui Jones said: “The licensing committee expressed a majority view that the fees and charges as proposed is the preferred approach.
“The committee considered it inappropriate for all ESBC council tax payers to subsidise these fees by £27,000 per year.”
source:
http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Burton ... 150307.htm
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