Taxi Driver Online

Dudley taxi passengers facing rise in fares

Taxi customers could be facing increased fares if Dudley Council carries out plans to raise the charge it levies on taxi drivers.

Shaz Saleem, chairman of Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, warned drivers may have to pass on a rise to customers if the borough council decides to raise its licence fees by between two per cent and five per cent during 2015-16.

The planned changes are contained in a revision of licence fees report by the council which is set to be discussed at a taxi committee meeting on February 9.

The council currently charges £230.84 to licence both Hackney Carriages and Private Hire vehicles, but if a two per cent increase is levied, this figure will rise to £235.46, while a five per cent rise would see the fee increase to £242.38.

But Mr Saleem said: "Our customers are struggling. They are not making much money and their wages have been struggling in recent years. The district council also has to understand that the taxi drivers are their customers and just as we have not been putting the fees up for our customers, so they should be doing the same for the taxi drivers.

"The way things are at the moment, we may have to put our fees up to cover our costs, but we are hoping that they see no reason to put it up because if they don't put their fees up, then we won't either."

The council is only permitted to set licensing fees for taxis and hackney carriages up to the amount it would cost to administer the licensing function.

This includes enforcement, administration and ancillary costs relating to licensing applications.

Mr Saleem also raised concerns the council had included the cost of paying the head of licensing in its budget, but that particular post had not been filled for two years.

"The council can only make an increase on the basis of covering their costs, but from the papers I have received, the council does not appear to be struggling and we propose a zero per cent increase. It is costing drivers a lot of money. They have had nobody in the head of licensing post for two years so they should not have been budgeting for that post if they do not intend to appoint anyone to that position," he added.

Mr Saleem said taxi drivers also had to factor in the cost of insurance which was 'not cheap.'

However, figures contained in the report show that based on a zero per cent increase in fees for the financial year 2015-16, the council would be subsidising the taxi service by £3,000 as it receives £546,000 but needs £549,000 to cover its costs.

source: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015 ... -increase/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

If councils across the country are making 'austerity' cuts to their services how come their costs keep rising ?

If licensing is ring fenced, then how are we affected????

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Because our money is being diverted, and/or staff from other departments are being added to licensing teams and being funded from our money yet not actually working on the taxi/PH licensing function.

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IDFIMH

Dudley taxi fares frozen for 13th year running

Taxi fares in the Dudley borough will be frozen for a 13th year running after a council agreed to freeze licensing charges, a group represented taxi firms has vowed.



Outside Dudley Council House, in Priory Road, Dudley, where representatives from the Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association and the Dudley Taxi Alliance were celebrating after taxi license fee's were frozen. Front: Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association secretary Jessy Harvey-Gayle is pictured with (back L to R) chairman Shaz Saleem, Mohammed Ali (Hackney Carraige Rep for the Dudley Taxi Alliance), and vice chairman Imran Shafiq.

Shaz Saleem, chairman of Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, had warned that cab companies may have to pass on the extra cost to their customers if if a proposed raise in licence fees went ahead.

But this week, Dudley Council's taxis committee rejected the rate rise of between two and five per cent after learning of increases over previous years. However, the freeze in licensing fees will mean the council will be subsidising the taxi service by £3,000 a year.

Following the meeting, Mr Saleem said: "This decision means we won't be increasing the fares for our customers.

"For over 12 years now we have kept our fees the same in Dudley.

"One hundred per cent of the firms have not been charging double over the Christmas period because we acknowledge that our customers have been struggling.

"A lot of our customers have had the same wage for the last couple of years and the fact that Dudley Council has not put its fees up all means we don't have to increase our fees as well to cover our costs."

He added: "I would like to say a big thank you first of all to the members who have supported the association. I would like to thank Dudley Council, in my view, for making history. I can't remember a time when fees have actually been frozen and we welcome the move.

"I think it is important that Dudley Council and Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association work together and today is a step towards that."

Although he was happy with the fee freeze, he did raise concerns about a lack of consultation over the proposal to put up license fees, as well as the cost to drivers of getting their vehicles retested, adding that taxi drivers in neighbouring boroughs paid less for retests.

He said Dudley drivers were obliged to use the council's garage in Narrowboat Way, Brierley Hill for their retests, while colleagues in Wolverhampton could choose from 19, adding that waiting times for retests were too long, with some drivers waiting three days to get a test slot.

The council currently charges £230.84 for annual licences both Hackney Carriages and Private Hire vehicles.

But if a two per cent increase was levied, this figure would have risen to £235.46, while a five per cent rise would see the fee increase to £242.38.

A report prepared for the committee meeting revealed that based on a zero per cent increase in fees for the financial year 2015-16, the council would be subsidising the taxi service by £3,000 as it receives £546,000, but needs £549,000 to cover its costs.

The council is only permitted to set licensing fees for taxis and hackney carriages up to the amount it would cost to administer the licensing function.

This includes enforcement, administration and ancillary costs relating to licensing applications.

source: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015 ... r-running/

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I wonder how many other trades have utter f***wits that jump for joy having had no pay rise for 12 years?

I suspect our trade is unique.

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IDFIMH