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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:35 pm 
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Not much to see here, but councillor is right about the tariff system, to a degree at least.


Taxi fares could increase in West Berks by 10 per cent

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news ... -per-cent/

TAXI fares will increase in West Berkshire next year, and could be as much as 10 per cent.

Although it is still undecided by exactly how much the rise will be, the taxi trade has asked West Berkshire Council to increase the maximum tariffs by nine per cent. The last time they were changed was in 2013.

But Councillor Graham Bridgman (Con, Burghfield & Mortimer) said the price system of fares needed to be ‘tidied up’. He said: “We suggested to the trade there needed to be some consistency.”

The tariff system currently uses fractions of distances and is difficult to understand.

Cllr Bridgman created a new tariff table, similar to the trade’s proposals but clearer and more logical, for example using a unit of distance as 1/10th of a mile.

Under his proposals, a fare would be slightly more expensive than in Reading for three miles or less, but cheaper for four miles or more.

Cllr Bridgman told the council’s licensing committee, on November 19, that taxis in West Berkshire ‘want to charge just under Reading’. He said: “They don’t want to be seen to be as expensive as Reading are.”

Reading’s current fares are £4.80 for a mile, £7.20 for two miles, and £9.60 for three. West Berkshire’s current fares are £4.50 for a mile, £6.65 for two miles, and £8.80 for three.

Cllr Bridgman’s proposals were £4.95 for a mile, £7.35 for two miles, and £9.75 for three. After four miles, his fares would be cheaper than Reading, but more expensive for distances of three miles or less.

These fares are the maximum which taxis are allowed to charge, and they are free to charge less if they wish. The increases are under the rate of inflation.

Cllr David Marsh (Green, Wash Common) said: “I commend Cllr Bridgman for his efforts. This is more rational and easier to understand than the trade version. It seems very fair and reasonable. It looks like a win-win.”

Cllr Billy Drummond (Lib Dem, Greenham) was less sure. A man had recently complained to him, who had taken a taxi two miles on a Sunday evening, and had to pay almost £10. He told Cllr Drummond it was a ‘rip-off’.

Tariffs are more expensive after 10pm, and on Sundays and bank holidays.

Cllr Bridgman’s changes — which have an average increase of 10 per cent — will be sent to local taxi company Cabco, and then the new tariffs will go out to public consultation for a month.

The fares will likely come into effect in around January or February.


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:39 pm 
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Nothing drives me more madder than I am than councillors debating our wages.

And there is always one Councillor who had a mate who got charged more than he thought he should have recently. :roll:

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:41 pm 
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Quote:
The tariff system currently uses fractions of distances and is difficult to understand.


Well indeed. This is from T1, for example:

West Berks tarrif card wrote:
Initial distance not exceeding 377.1429 yards or part thereof

Initial waiting time 81 seconds or a combination of time and distance £2.80

For each subsequent 123.2493 yards completed or part thereof 15p

Waiting time: for every period of 27 seconds or part thereof 15p


How on earth did they come up with those distances? :-s

But, as I've said before, better to fine tune fares on the flagfall and increment *distances* rather than having 1p, 2p and 5p steps (as in Dundee, for example).

But that should still be achievable to the nearest yard, or whatever, and 377.1429 yards, or whatever, is just ludicrous.

On the other hand, I disagree with the councillor that it's confusing in the wider sense - the problem is just the ridiculously accurate figures they've come up with, and how they quantified them. 'Spurious accuracy', I think a statistician would call it [-(


For what it's worth, old tariff card can be found towards end of this document:

http://decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk/ ... V1%204.pdf


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:56 pm 
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Sussex wrote:
Nothing drives me more madder than I am than councillors debating our wages.


Indeed, but no system will ever be perfect, and at the end of the day democracy is still slightly better than dictatorship.

But echoes that stuff about the Dundee killing and the law. As Edders rightly says (for a change :badgrin: =D> ) we can't be experts on everything, even stuff we're voting on, and indeed the average councillor is little better equipped to decide taxi fares than the average person in the street.

In my opinion the system would be better if councillors *weren't* deciding these things, but as things stand it's arguably no worse than the great unwashed voting on the law on manslaughter/culpable homicide, say :-k


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2019 7:06 am 
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Location: Stamford Britains prettiest town till SKDC ruined it
well if the NPHA can't understand tariff tables I'm pretty sure a councillor can't but their fares are quite high anyway so not so sure public will stand an increase at the moment

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2021 5:44 pm 
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Not much to see here, but was interested in the councillor's comment about change 'shrapnel', which is a subject close to my heart [-(

But I thought the post above from a couple of years ago meant that the daft tickover distances were meant to avoid 'change shrapnel' rather than cause it.

So not entirely clear what the councillor is on about below, and can't be bothered doing any digging.

But I certainly wholeheartedly agree with the need to avoid the likes of the £5.15 fares we have here on T2 ](*,)



Five per cent increase in West Berkshire cab fares on the cards

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/hac ... e-9214939/

HACKNEY cab fares are set to increase in West Berkshire by five per cent.

The rise, the first since 2013, has been on the cards for the past two years.

The proposed increase sees the fares ‘rounded up’ to reduce the need for ‘change shrapnel’.

The matter will now go to public consultation, with the public and taxi trade invited to share their views on the proposal by mid October.

It will be decided at the next executive committee in November.

Cab drivers were unofficially polled to canvas their views on proposed new tariffs on the table – with mixed response.

Of the 35 responses received 83 per cent stated that they would like to retain the three tariffs currently in operation.

But 71 drivers on the Cabco circuit fully supported an increase of 10 per cent in fares saying a fare increase was valid as they had not changed since 2013.

Most agreed that the special tariffs charged on New Year’s Eve and Christmas Day when demand is usually high should be kept.

Councillor Graham Bridgman (Con, Burghfield and Mortimer) said the price system of fares needed to be "tidied up’" .

“What hasn’t come across is the meters needing a round number – they don’t want to be carrying around loads of shrapnel,” he told West Berkshire’s special licensing committee.

“The way in which the structure of the five per cent proposal is that that results in round numbers for the trigger distances within the mile. The rate is based on a 12th of a mile. It works out to a nice round zero at the end of the distance – making giving change easier.

“This is the proper compromise to reach between two ends of the scale.”

The tariff system currently uses fractions of distances and is difficult to understand.

The process of setting a fare increase is complex and a balance needs to be struck between the legitimate aims of the taxi trade to maintain profitability in the face of increasing costs, while protecting the public from excessive fares.

Local authorities have a statutory power to set the maximum fares that licensed hackney carriages (taxis) can charge for a journey.

Cab drivers do not have to charge the maximum fare.

Hackney carriages are entitled to use taxi ranks around the borough, where they can sit and wait for a fare. Private hire vehicles cannot use ranks. Hackney carriages can be hailed, or flagged down, anywhere in the borough. Private hire vehicles can only undertake pre-booked work through a licensed operator.

Reading’s current fares are £4.80 for a mile, £7.20 for two miles, and £9.60 for three. West Berkshire’s current fares are £4.50 for a mile, £6.65 for two miles, and £8.80 for three.


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