Taxi Driver Online

Not much to see here, but one interesting wee nugget. Or at least I thought it was interesting


Cab fares increase planned in Babergh - here's where and how much

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/babergh-dis ... -1-6515273

Plans to increase taxi fares across Babergh are in the pipeline, with the public able to have their say this spring.

Hackney carriage fares for the district have not been reviewed since 2016, with taxi operators understood to have called for changes to help meet increasing costs.

The basic rate for day time fares will increase by 20p from £3 to £3.20, while night rates will change by 10p from £4.50 to £4.60 starting rate, and apply between 11pm and 7am instead of just midnight and 6am.

Special fares for Christmas and New Year will also increase by 20p from £6 to £6.20 starting rate.

All three tariffs will also cost an additional 10p for every 110 yards or 33 seconds.

Extra charges at the discretion of drivers will be 20p for each additional passenger over two, and 60p for each additional passenger over two in vehicles with more than four seats.

The council confirmed that no extra charges would be made for assistance dogs, luggage or shopping.

Babergh District Council's licensing committee agreed to put the fares out to consultation this spring to both the trade and the public before making a final decision.

The changes only apply to vehicles with Hackney carriage licenses - ones which can be hailed from the roadside - as there is no statutory framework for councils to set fares for private hire vehicles.

The report by licensing officer David Price said: "Fares for Hackney carriages in Babergh district have not increased since August 2016 and a review, revision and consultation are now required.

"The review has been brought about by an increase in costs for Hackney carriage proprietors over the last three years and verbal requests from elements of the licensed trade for the council to undertake a review of the table of fares."

A firm date for the consultation - which will span 28 days for taxi drivers and 14 days for the public - has yet to be decided, but will likely be from the end of March.

The licensing committee must then make a final decision once responses have been collated.

If approved, the changes would come into force across the whole district, including key towns such as Sudbury and Hadleigh, as well as Shotley, Great Cornard, Boxford, Lavenham, Bildeston, Kersey, East Bergholt and areas around Ipswich like Brantham, Copdock and Sproughton among others.

Don't know if that's been misreported, but it reads like three people (say) would be charged more in an eight-seater than in a saloon. Maybe the charge for 4+ seaters is supposed to read 'for additional passengers over FOUR'?

Had a look at the Babergh tariff card, and there's no sign of such a charge, so presumably it's a new one, but that's not made clear in the article.

But the current card is very straightforward, with just a T1 and a T2, waiting time and public holidays.

The only other thing is a soiling charge, and that's quite interesting:

Which reminds me of this from the Wiltshire tariff card:



Pretty unusual for the charge to be a *minimum* - aren't they usually maximums?

Doesn't even say the vehicle has to be out of service, or whatever, so potentially open to abuse - £100 for a couple of crisps?

Suspect that in practice it's not really a minimum at all, though

can they set a minimum charge legally ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Not going to cause much grief for the p*** heads at night.

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IDFIMH

No.

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IDFIMH

What they could say is the cost of cleaning, including time.

But that would confuse many, so it should be a maximum.

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IDFIMH

As Mr Sudbury said in the licensing section of the forum, the article at the top of the thread doesn't portray the true picture, because while the flagfalls are increasing, it seems the running mile charges are decreasing, resulting in an overall drop in fares - the chap quoted in the piece claims it'll cost him up to £5k per year.

They've gone over the top a bit with the photos, which is why I've included them all

Reminds me of the HCD rep in Oxford, but at least there was a bit more variety in those photos


Taxi operators in Sudbury area fear significant losses in income under proposed changes to cab fare rates

https://www.suffolkfreepress.co.uk/news ... s-9101706/


Steve Hale (Image: Suffolk Free Press/Mark Westley)

Taxi firms in Sudbury fear proposed changes to cab fares across Babergh could result in a substantial drop in their income, and may force them to abandon the local taxi rank during nights and holiday periods.

Babergh District Council announced last month plans to alter rates for Hackney carriage fares, which were last reviewed in 2016, citing concerns about increasing costs for taxi operators.

Under the proposals, daytime rates would go up by 20p to £3.20, night-time rates by 10p to £4.60 and holiday rates by 20p to £6.20, while all three tariffs will add 10p to the fare every 110 yards, or 33 seconds.

The changes, which would only apply to vehicles with Hackney carriage licenses – cabs that can be hailed from the roadside – are currently subject to an ongoing consultation with taxi operators.

They would take effect on June 1, if given the council’s final approval.

But cab businesses claim reductions to the fare rises for distance travelled, and for waiting time caused by delays, would offset the tariff increases, resulting in less income compared to current rates.


Steve Hale (Image: Suffolk Free Press/Mark Westley)

Independent operator Steve Hale, who runs Sudbury-based Hale-A-Cab, told the Free Press that he expected his annual income to fall by thousands of pounds, if the planned changes are implemented.

“When you look at the whole proposal in detail, it’s a reduction in income,” said Mr Hale, of Newman’s Road. “The further we go, the less we’re going to be earning.

“It’s not ideal. I’ve been doing the job for nearly eight years and been independent for two-and-a-half. This is not the easiest business to make money in at the best of times.

“The cabbies around town are a bit up in arms about this. It will hit me by about £4,000 to £5,000 a year and, if you think about the bigger firms with several vehicles, that’s a big hole in their finances.”

AAA Cabs director Stuart Armstrong said he believes Hackney-licence cabs would become far less available after midnight, on bank holidays and over the Christmas and new year period, and go purely private hire during unsociable hours, if the proposed rates are adopted.

In an email to Babergh’s licensing department, seen by the Free Press, Mr Armstrong wrote: “The rationale behind the review, the increased costs, are indeed areas of note and concern to the members of the trade.

“But, the review appears to be disguising an overall income reduction as an increase by just highlighting the fact that the ‘flag drop’ charges for the tariffs are going up by 10 or 20 pence per trip.

“As an example, taking two people from Sudbury Rail Station to Colchester North Station currently costs £27 on the standard day rate. Taking those same two passengers on the same trip on Christmas Day, the proposed rates would allow Hackney operators to charge a maximum of £30.20, instead of the current pricing of £54.”


Steve Hale (Image: Suffolk Free Press/Mark Westley)

A public consultation launches today and runs until March 19.

A Babergh spokeswoman said: “We hope everyone will take the opportunity to have their say during the consultation.

“The licensing committee will then make a final decision once all feedback has been considered.”

To submit your views on the changes, email licensingteam@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk.


Steve Hale (Image: Suffolk Free Press/Mark Westley)

Certainly a significant drop on the Christmas Day fare, but could there have been a worse possible example to get an impression on how it will work out overall?

Shouldn’t worry too much, there aren’t any trains on Christmas Day!

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Former taxi driver

Fresh confusion over Babergh cab fares as drivers warn of issues for companies and customers

Changes to Hackney carriage fares in Babergh aimed at simplifying tariffs will create more confusion for both cabbies and customers, drivers have warned.

A consultation held over the spring sparked a series of concerns from cab companies which claimed the revised tariffs would actually reduce the income per journey, rather than create the intended improvement for them in light of increased costs for cab firms.

The revised structure proposed a £3.20 starting rate for day journeys – a 20p increase on the current starting rate, while initial charges for night rates would start at £4.60 or £6.20 for Christmas and New Year. All three tariffs would have 10p added to the fare for every 110 yards travelled.

But the cab trade pointed out that the starting rates for the night and Christmas/New Year rates would actually be below what they could charge now, which allowed a 50% increase on the day rate for evenings, and the Christmas/New Year rate to be double the day rate.

The council said it was trying to simplify the tariff structures while also recognising that Hackney carriage fares had not increased since 2016 but drivers were facing increased costs in fuel and insurance.

Following the feedback from cab companies, amended rates were agreed by Babergh District Council’s licensing committee on Friday, albeit amid much confusion, and will now be £3.20 day rate for the first 588 yards, increasing by 10p for every 98 yards thereafter.

The night rate will be £4.60 for the first 544 yards and a 20p increase for every subsequent 136 yards, while the special Christmas/New Year rate will be £6.20 initial charge for the first 416 yards with a 20p charge every 104 yards thereafter.

But inconsistencies in the new rates have left cab companies unclear on what the new pay structure will be.

Stuart Armstrong, from AAA Cabs Ltd in Sudbury, said: “To my mind it was simple how it was.

“It was a 50% increase for tariff two (night rates) and 100% on tariff three (Christmas and New Year).

“This has created more confusion than there has already been. There was also nothing put forward about larger vehicles.

“This will lead to more confusion for the public.”

A date of July 27 has been set for the introduction of the new fares, providing it gets cabinet backing next month, which will be reviewed in a year’s time.

Sue Carpendale, from the committee, said: “We really want to try to simplify the fares and tariffs, and be as transparent as we can be for both the customer and the operator.

“What we are concerned about is that we ensure that drivers and operators don’t lose out, and that they do have an improvement in their income levels from 2016 [when fares last changed].”

Hackney carriages are cabs which can be hailed from the roadside or wait in taxi ranks, with the new tariffs not applying to private hire taxis which must be booked by people in advance.

The new tariffs, if approved by Babergh’s cabinet, will apply to operators with licenses issued by the Babergh authority, including in key towns such as Sudbury, Hadleigh, Great Cornard and Lavenham among many others.

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IDFIMH

Bloody expensive taxis if they do it, we are at £2.35 and £2 85 starting rate, and 10p every 97 meters

Fresh concern over new Babergh cab fare plans

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/traffic/bab ... 20-6746820

A fresh table of fares for Hackney Carriage cabs has been proposed for Babergh District Council following problems earlier this year - but cab firms have said the latest fares will still not create clear prices for passengers.

Revised fares were planned for earlier this year which aimed to clarify prices for travellers while also recognising drivers hadn't had a rise in tariffs since 2016 despite increased costs of running vehicles.

But the council's cabinet ordered a fresh look at the numbers in July after firms pointed out that the prices would actually leave them worse off, and create more confusion for passengers.

Last week, a fresh proposal was put forward to the council's licensing and regulatory committee, which unanimously agreed the changes to go to cabinet for a final decision. But cab companies have said those fares will still not be transparent for passengers.

The revised fares on vehicles that can carry between one and four passengers will be a £3.20 starting rate with 20p increases every 176 yards and a running mile of £2 for the day tariff; £4.80 with a 30p increase per 176 yards and a £3 running mile for 11pm-7am; and £6.40 with a 40p increase every 176 yards and a £4 running mile for Christmas and New Year.

For vehicles that can carry five passengers or more those prices will begin at £4.80 for a day rate with 30p increases for every 176 yards; £7.20 for the night rate with 45p increases; and £9.60 for Christmas and New Year with 60p increases.

Those fares only affect Hackney Carriages - vehicles that can be hailed from the roadside - and not private hire cabs,

But cab firms have questioned why the price rise is on the vehicle and not the number of passengers.

Stuart Armstrong, of AAA Cabs Ltd, said 54 of the district's 68 cabs would need new meters fitted because of the change, and said that it would put people off getting into cabs.

He pointed out that larger vehicles are often used by those in wheelchairs or people with pushchairs, and would unfairly hit them harder.

According to Mr Armstrong, a passenger travelling from Sudbury to Bury St Edmunds train station, a journey of 17.9 miles, would pay £38.40 during the day in a cab licensed for between one and four passengers, but pay £57.60 for the same journey in a vehicle licensed for five or more passengers.

"I suggested that the rates should be per passenger numbers, not per vehicle," he said.

"We want to make it so the paying public know what they are going to be paying. But if they see £4.80 on the meter [instead of £3.20] they are going to be getting out rapidly."

A meeting was convened with cabbies in August to understand their concerns.

While most of those original issues have been sorted, questions were raised over last week's licensing committee not taking into consideration the latest issues around cab size, which were put forward by some cab operators during the latest consultation.

Mark Newman, chairman of the licensing and regulatory committee, said: "We have given it a lot of time. We did have a consultation with all the taxi drivers [in August] and I think that was really successful.

"We have had three letters, not really complaining but with different suggestions, and we will get that - you will never make everybody happy."

If approved by cabinet, the new fares will come into effect from April 5 2021, with a review taking place annually.

Presumably the proposal is to charge more for a bigger vehicle irrespective of whether the passenger(s) actually require one

Which echoes what I said back in February when they seemed to be proposing an extra per passenger which depended on vehicle size, but would apply whether or not a bigger vehicle was actually required:


As I said back then, it looked like they originally had a simple tariff structure which applied irrespective of passenger numbers or vehicle size (like we have in Fife).

So they've tried to introduce a premium based on passsenger numbers/vehicle size, but seem unable to get their heads round the fact that it shouldn't actually penalise passengers in a bigger vehicle unless they actually require a bigger vehicle

(The initial proposal seemed to be for a modest flat extra per passenger, but that would have been at a higher rate in bigger vehicles. Now the proposal seems to be for a higher tariff overall for bigger vehicles, but irrespective of passenger numbers.)

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IDFIMH