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PostPosted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:00 pm 
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At first glance doesn't look particularly interesting, but actually several potential talking points.

Or maybe it's just me 8-[


Edinburgh taxi fares could be going up, with new rules on passengers 'soiling' cabs

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/ed ... g-17531898

Passengers will have even more incentive to avoid spilling anything on the back seats

Taxi fares for all journeys around Edinburgh could be going up later this year, as the council proposes a new tariff structure.

Proposals would see an extra 40p added on to all journeys as part of the "flag drop" fee, as well as a 3.3% increase on fares.

The additional passenger charge would go up to 30p under the plans.

The last time taxi fares went up in Edinburgh was in June 2018. Edinburgh city council is responsible for regulating the taxi and private hire trade.

Changes to the fare card also provide a new definition for passengers "soiling" the vehicle, ie spilling something on the back seats.

A £50 cleaning fee can currently be applied "when the taxi is soiled (by travel sickness)."

However the new rules would take a broader definition of "soiling", removing the "travel sickness" caveat.

The fee would instead be applied if a taxi has to be removed for service for cleaning.

While it's never been a good idea to take open food and drink into a cab, passengers now have added incentive to avoid any kind of spill.

Earlier, a separate report highlighted complaints about cabs and private hire drivers were on the increase, pointing out the 75 complaints about a driver who blocked the Childrens' Taxi Outing.

Edinburgh city council's executive director of place is now proposing changes to the way fare tariffs are calculated.

Following a review of current fares, a report is going before the council's regulatory committee later this week.

The taxi trade had wanted to increase the cancellation fees to £5, but this is not part of the council's proposals.

The new taxi fares are expected to go out for consultation later this year.


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:01 pm 
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Quote:
Proposals would see an extra 40p added on to all journeys as part of the "flag drop" fee, as well as a 3.3% increase on fares.

Presumably the 3.3% is on the running mile? But makes it sound like the flag increase isn't part of the fare increase :roll:

Quote:
The additional passenger charge would go up to 30p under the plans.

So 40p on the flag, and additional passenger charge up 50% from 20p, thus short runs could see significant hikes :shock:

Quote:
A £50 cleaning fee can currently be applied "when the taxi is soiled (by travel sickness)."

However the new rules would take a broader definition of "soiling", removing the "travel sickness" caveat.

'Travel sickness' :lol:

Good that they're extending the definition of soiling, though, but is the precise wording on the tariff card ever really relevant in such situations?

Quote:
The taxi trade had wanted to increase the cancellation fees to £5, but this is not part of the council's proposals.

The current T1 flagfall is £2.60, yet trade wanted a £5 cancellation fee for pre-bookings? :roll:

Anyway, that's something that I can't recall discussed on here, and don't think it's particularly widespread. But the current Edinburgh tariff card states:

Edinburgh tariff card wrote:
Cancellation Fee
Applicable when taxi is pre-booked but not used - £2.20

We don't have such a fee in Fife, but I suspect that it's a bit like the soiling fee in practice - having it on the tariff card is one thing, actually getting the fee is a different thing entirely.


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:12 pm 
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Quote:
thus short runs could see significant hikes


maybe it's to discourage cherry picking :wink:

Quote:
Anyway, that's something that I can't recall discussed on here,


probably because no other tariff card has it :roll:

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:31 pm 
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edders23 wrote:
Quote:
Anyway, that's something that I can't recall discussed on here,


probably because no other tariff card has it :roll:

You've looked at all 350+ tariff cards? :shock:

This is from the Angus Council card. Never thought it was a widespread thing, but always assumed there were a few around. Or maybe it's just Angus and Edinburgh.

Angus Council wrote:
Where a taxi is called but not used – normal fare to be charged according to distance as if the taxi had been occupied from the time it left the stance or garage.

(I think 'garage' here means the taxi depot. Or office :-o )


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 09, 2020 7:15 pm 
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Struggling to see how a cancelation charge can ever be deemed as a hackney carriage charge.

This is just the taxi operators trying it on.

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 09, 2020 7:34 pm 
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Sussex wrote:
Struggling to see how a cancelation charge can ever be deemed as a hackney carriage charge.

This is just the taxi operators trying it on.


I kind of get what you mean. But if there's a pre-booking fee (as I think there is in Brighton, albeit a modest 20p - it's 80p in Edinburgh) then a cancellation fee hardly seems too radical.

Anyway, as I said, it's one thing having it on the tariff card, but whether or not drivers try to actually recover it, or have any success, is another matter.

And commercially it makes sense - I mean, Uber has a hefty cancellation fee?


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 11:01 am 
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StuartW wrote:
And commercially it makes sense - I mean, Uber has a hefty cancellation fee?

It's somewhat easier for Uber to collect that fee (via the registered card) than a driver who was being paid cash.


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