Taxi Driver Online

Not sure I really understand what's happening with the festive tariffs, but for the purposes of the thread title think I'm on safe enough ground simply saying that the applicable period is being extended


Edinburgh Christmas and Hogmanay revellers face possible hike in black cab fares

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/ed ... e-21976438

The last hike in taxi fares was back in August 2019 and with a new increase Edinburgh would be the second most expensive council in Scotland for black cabs behind East Lothian.

Edinburgh black cabs are set to see 2.9% rise in fares this year if plans go ahead.

The last hike in taxi fares was back in August 2019 and with a new increase Edinburgh would be the second most expensive council in Scotland for black cabs behind East Lothian.

In a public consultation held over summer this year, more than half 56 percent of residents said that taxi fares were already too expensive in Edinburgh.

The consultation also found a third of residents didn't know cab fares increase after 6pm and over 70 percent said they had used a taxi during the last three months.

A 2.9% increase on average would turn a £6.75 fare into around £7.50 and there are also plans to increase the 30p “additional passenger charge” for more than three customers in a cab to 40p.

There are also plans to amend the festive tariff so that Tariff 4 should be applied to Christmas Day and New Year's Day regardless of the day of the week.

Under current licensing, tariff three is implemented from 6am-6pm Monday - Friday throughout the festive period.

Tariff three and four are only active from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on December 27 and 6pm on Hogmanay to 11:59pm on January 2.

The new changes would apply to Christmas Day and New Year’s Day regardless of which day of the week it is but if these changes went through, it would not impact the general public till 2024 due to how the days fall.

The next stage of the process is to advertise the proposed changes and if there are no objections put the amendments through in December.

The taxi fare tariff sets out the maximum charges which licensed taxis may charge any passenger for a journey within the city. Operators are free to alter any charge subject to that maximum.

The current fares were last reviewed by the Regulatory Committee in January 2020 and councillors agreed to an increase of 40p on the flag and 3.3% on the increments on all tariffs.

Murray Fleming, secretary of the Scottish Taxi Federation speaking to Edinburgh Live said: "The tariff increase is for the large impact the emissions fees has on traders.

"There are not as many of us at the moment because it's not as attractive as other trades especially after covid-19, there is no holiday pay or reliable hours.

"Because of the emission controls you need the price rise to keep up and continuously upgrade our vehicles."

Scott Blair from Chair of Edinburgh Cab Branch, Unite the Union said: "I think the Christmas and New Year rate is correct. No other business would have their staff working for so little over the festive period.

"We weren't keen for the rise but with council rates and fees it's essential.

"There was discussion over making card payment mandatory for all black cabs.

"Edinburgh has one of the most up to date and advanced taxi systems in the UK it's a disgrace it's not mandatory.

"Mandatory card payments has to happen. It's embarrassing people come to the city and aren't able to pay by card.

"We've been asking and asking but they don't want to force any more regulations on cab drivers just now.

"They will force us to buy £60,000 taxis but they won't enforce the £50 card machine we would buy out of our own pocket."

Cllr Catherine Fullerton, Regulatory Convener, said: “We’re legally obliged to carry out a taxi fare review every 18 months. We’ll be consulting further on these recommendations and will bring a report back to committee in December for a decision.”

The two paragraphs are contradictory about T3, surely?


Eh? The owners' federation complaining about a lack of holiday pay and reliable hours?

As for the card thing, it's obviously the usual scenario where some have card readers and others don't (or only seem to have them when it's a decent run), so those with the readers end up doing others' leftovers at times, but the council won't make them mandatory. But will mandate £60k cabs, as the rep points out.

Does pi** me off when lazy clueless journalists use the work 'hike' in relation to taxi fare increases.

_________________
IDFIMH

Please don't tell me that should Xmas or New Year's Day fall on a Sunday then the Sunday rate would apply not the Xmas and New Year's rate?

_________________
IDFIMH

Why fanny around trying to justify the increase?

Just say the cost of living is increasing so taxi fares are increasing to keep up.

If taxi fares had to cover the costs of new electric cabs then they would be going up a lot more than they actually are.

_________________
IDFIMH

Edinburgh taxi fares set to rise on December 30

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... 30-3480643

Taxi fares in the Capital are going up 2.9 per cent from the end of this month – and the charge for dropping off passengers at Edinburgh Airport is set to double.

Councillors approved the hike in fares, which will take Edinburgh into the top 25 in the league table of UK local authorities with the highest fares.

It will mean the cost of a five-mile daytime journey which might be roughly £13 at the moment will rise to around £13.38.

As well as the 2.9% increase on all tariffs, the “additional passenger charge” will go up from 30p to 40p when there are more than three passengers, the airport drop-off fee will double from £2 to £4, and the festive tariff will apply to Christmas Day and New Year's Day, irrespective of the day of the week, as well as during the night times on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Councils are required to review taxi fares at least every 18 months and fares were last set in April 7 2020. But implementation of these changes was delayed by the pandemic because the companies responsible for adjusting taxi meters were unable to operate during lockdown.

The council said the latest fare review was also delayed due to pressures caused by the pandemic and prioritising the safe reopening of businesses.

The fare changes follow research and consultation carried out by consultants on behalf of the council and were approved by the council’s regulatory committee on Thursday.

A report to the committee said respondents to the consultation were broadly supportive of the general tariff increases, though some complained that taxi fares in the city were too expensive.

The taxi fare tariff sets out the maximum charges which licensed taxis may charge any passenger for a journey within the city. Operators are free to alter any charge subject to that maximum.

Edinburgh is currently placed 50th out of 365 authorities in a league table of taxi fares drawn up by trade publication Private Hire and Taxi Monthly.

Based on these rankings, the Capital will move up to 25th when the new fares take effect.

That will compare with East Lothian in 24th place, Fife in 40th, Glasgow in 41st, Midlothian in 120th and West Lothian in 262nd.

So the council are giving the trade 2.9%, yet RPI has risen 6.63% since their last increase in April 2020.

Clueless councillors strike again.

_________________
IDFIMH