Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers in Chelmsford want to rise fares after fuel price hikes

https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-n ... se-7149940

Drivers say this will help pay for high fuel costs

Black cab drivers in Chelmsford say tariffs need to change in the face of increased fuel bills and to ensure a level playing field between different kinds of Hackney carriages. They want to increase Hackney Carriage tariffs for journeys for up to four people but also include a second tariff for journeys with five or six people.

They say this will help pay for high fuel costs and the increased cost of maintaining larger vehicles that can carry wheelchairs and up to six people. In a petition to Chelmsford City Council drivers say that at present, there is a huge disparity in the cost of purchasing and running a saloon vehicle and a Multi Seater/Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (MS/WAV).

They say the price alone for an MS/MAV is double that of a saloon, while fuel costs are much higher for MS/WAV and maintenance costs higher too. They add the financial burden of owning an MS/WAV will only get worse but although the costs of running an MS/WAV vehicle are significantly higher, there is very little chance of earning any more from the vehicle - they estimate at between 30p to 60p in extras when the vehicle is used at full capacity.

They add that in signs of the difficulty drivers are facing, in the past two years while 30 wheelchair accessible vehicle licences have been handed back, there have not been any saloon vehicle licences returned. There has been no review or increase in Hackney Carriage fares in Chelmsford since 2020. Since then the cost of diesel has risen from 112p in August 2020 to 181p now.

To offset these changes they want an additional tariff to be introduced, whereby if five or six passengers travel in an MS/WAV the fare be increased by 50 per cent. If the vehicle was used for one to four passengers the fare tariff would remain the same.

The current daytime rate between 6am and 11pm for five miles is £13.95 they want that to go to £15.11. After 11pm the total cost for five miles is £19.51. They want that to increase to £20.77. Additionally, the additional tariff for five or six passengers in an MS/WAV a five-mile journey would cost £20.95 between 6am and 11pm. After 11pm, a five-mile journey would be £29.26.

A petition to the council said: “To ensure local authorities have the appropriate number of taxis on the circuit and enough provision of wheelchair accessible vehicles we need to find a solution to funding. It is quite clear that license holders are feeling the pinch when licensing an MS/WAV.

"In the past couple of years, 30 vehicles in Chelmsford have been lost with vehicle licences (plates) being handed back. It’s no coincidence that all the plates that were handed back were wheelchair access vehicles. Not one single saloon suffered. In hard times [for] many, they are not financially viable.

"Currently the way all tariffs work throughout the UK is that the more passengers that travel, the cheaper each individual passenger would effectively pay.

"We would like to propose that an additional tariff be introduced, whereby if five or six passengers travel in an MS/WAV that the fare be increased by 50 per cent. If the vehicle was used for one to four passengers the fare tariff would remain the same.”

Can't find it now, but wasn't a very similar scenario reported from elsewhere a wee while ago?

But one important point that's not mentioned in the piece is that (presumably) those running the WAVs rather than saloons were compelled to do so rather than simply having the option?

Of course, the fare premium they're proposing for 5+ is hardly unusual, but slightly odd that it only says five or six passengers. So presumably the WAVs have to be TXs or whatever, rather than those seating up to eight passengers? But maybe if they can only seat six maximum then that's why they don't have a premium for bigger vehicles in the first place?

And a related point is something else that's not mentioned in the article. There's currently a 30p charge for passengers after the first.

The 30p premium per passenger is actually mentioned in the article in the above passage. But it's a bit odd and misleading how it's portrayed. It's not necessarily when the vehicle is used at 'full capacity' - there's a premium for a fifth passenger as well as a sixth one

And it's not an 'estimate' either - if you have five passengers you can charge 30p more than if you have four, and if you have six passengers you can charge 60p more.

Who would have thought?

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IDFIMH

And 20p per piece of luggage.

A perfect example of how to confuse, and pi** off punters.

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IDFIMH

But well done to the taxi trade for putting in for a rise.

I just wish more areas would realise that we aren't a charity, and even cab drivers deserve the right to earn a reasonable living.

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IDFIMH

We have a £3 surcharge for 5 or more passengers. It used to be six or more.

There is a driver here who wants to have it added to the tariff card for shopping bags. He wants £1.00 per bag. He did actually start charging shoppers this a while ago. you can imagine the furore when someone was charged an extra £10.00 for their weekly shop.

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Grandad,

Furore, over a taxi fare, in Melton?

Thought it would be high fives all round

Passengers never look at extras they see the main price on the meter and in my experience often refuse to pay them much better including it in the flag or tariff

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