Not particuarly interesting with regard to the fees, but I was interested by the operator/proprietor's (or whatever) comments. Although nothing particuarly new there either.
The cost of becoming a taxi driver in Torbay is set to risehttps://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... ay-3856859The fee for a new three-year taxi driver’s licence is set to go up from April by £25 to £348 - an increase of 7.7 per centThe cost of becoming a taxi driver in Torbay is set to rise from April.
The fee for a new three-year taxi driver’s licence is set to go up from April by £25 to £348 - an increase of 7.7 per cent.
The rise would apply to drivers of hackney carriages - the cabs that can be hailed in the street and wait at ranks - and private hire taxis, which must be ordered in advance.
Torbay Council’s licensing committee decided to recommend the increase for a final decision by the full council.
Members of the committee were told that under taxi licensing law, driver licence fees must be set at a reasonable level to cover the costs of issuing licences and the administration involved.
Councillors were given a detailed breakdown of past and predicted figures, which showed that without the rise the account was heading for a deficit in future years.
The proposed taxi licensing fees for 2020/21 were advertised in the Herald Express local newspaper on January 15, allowing 28 days for objections.
The committee heard from Paul Le Huray, director of Torbay Taxis, who had submitted an objection to the new driver increase.
He said that the industry already faced a struggle to attract drivers in Torbay and feared the increase would make it even harder.
Mr Le Huray questioned the need for the rise and said: “The increase in the fee is quite a commitment for a new driver to come into the trade.”
He said the costs involved in gaining a taxi driver licence totalled more than £1,000, in addition to £2,500 for insurance.
Mr Le Huray added: “It is quite a commitment to outlay that sort of money when you are not sure what you are going to get, as you are self-employed.”
Mr Le Huray accepted the detailed financial figures supplied to the committee to show the justification for the increase.
Councillors were advised that points raised by Mr Huray relating to taxi policy could not be considered in relation to the proposed fee increase.
The decision had to be made based solely on whether the increase was reasonable to recover the costs of the issue of the licences and administration.
Committee chair Vic Ellery said he was happy to consider separately what Mr Huray had said about the industry, but the committee could not take it into account for the fee decision.
The committee went into private to make a decision which was then announced in public by Cllr Ellery who said the committee accepted the case for the proposed fee increases.
Other proposed rises include the renewal of a three-year driver’s licence going up from £228 to £260, replacement of a lost badge/licence from £27.50 to £30, and a new hackney carriage vehicle licence up from £275 to £350.
The recommendation will go to the full council for approval.
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