Taxi Driver Online

Been generally ignoring fare articles, if only because there's a lot of them around at the moment, for obvious reasons.

But this (and the Windsor and Maidenhead one) is slightly more interesting because of the fuel surcharge proposal. Which *I think* is 'set to' be approved by the cabinet, after the regulatory committee's recommendation. I think


Boston taxi fares to rise with further extra charges as cost of diesel goes up

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news ... er-7287983

It relates to 'hackney carriages' that you can flag down or get in at taxi ranks

The cost of a 10-mile taxi ride in Boston could increase to as much as £21 - with extra costs when the price of diesel tops £1.80 a litre. Members of Boston Borough Council's ruling cabinet are set to agree new tariffs for hackney carriages - the type of taxi that people people can flag down in the street or get in at a taxi stand.

It is proposed that under tariff one, the cost of taking a taxi capable of carrying up to four passengers between 7.30am and 11pm would range from £4.80 for one mile to £21 for 10 miles. The second tariff covering the period between 11pm and 7.30am, Sundays, Bank Holidays, Christmas and New Year is set to be £7.20 for a one-mile trip and £31.50 for 10 miles.

The tariff also applies to vehicles carrying five to eight passengers between 7.30am and 11pm. Changes to the third tariff for larger vehicles between 11pm and 7.30am on Sundays, Bank Holidays and the Christmas and New Year period would be £9.60 for the first mile, with a 10-mile journey costing £42.

In addition, councillors are to consider an additional discretionary fee of 20 pence for each journey when the cost of diesel exceeds £1.80, with a further 20p increase for every 10p rise in the cost of diesel thereafter. According to RAC Fuel Watch, the latest UK average price for a litre of diesel is 199.05p, with no change forecast.

And booking fees are set to increase to a maximum of £8, with the soiling charge going up to a maximum of £100. The proposed changes comes after Boston Hackney Carriage Association (BHCA) requested a review of the maximum hackney carriage fare structure - the last increase in fares was in April 2018.

The council's regulatory & appeals committee last month recommended the cabinet agree the price rises when it meets on July 4. A report to the cabinet states that councillors previously considered additional relief for hackney carriage firms in the event of fuel costs continuing to increase.

"It was determined that the committee would recommend an additional discretionary fee of 20 pence to be paid for each journey when the cost of diesel exceeds £1.80 with a further 20 pence increase for every respective 10 pence in the cost of diesel thereafter, the report states.

"For example, at the time of writing the regulatory & appeals committee report, the cost of diesel was £1.76 per litre and at the time of writing this report the cost had increased to £1.94 per litre. This would mean that a hackney carriage fare could be increased by a maximum of 40 pence for each journey."

The report added: "During the meeting, members asked why BHCA had not asked for an increase in tariff 3. BHCA confirmed that, as they do not have any members who would have cause to use tariff 3 it wasn’t a consideration they had taken into account but agreed with the senior licensing officer that an increase in tariff 3 would ensure a fair increase for all."

The recommended option would increase tariff 1 as requested by BHCA, with tariff 2 charges being set at a 50 per cent increase of tariff 1, with tariff 3 charges being a 100 per cent increase of tariff 1. The report concludes: "It is anticipated that an appropriate increase will maintain a reasonably priced taxi service for members of the public whilst also providing increased income for taxi proprietors and drivers. Proprietors or drivers who are opposed to the increase can opt to continue to operate using the existing tariff."

Kind of thing that looks OK in principle and on paper, but can't really see how it would be workable in practice.

I mean, how and when precisely would the changes be implemented, and how would it all be communicated to the trade? Even a workaday increase can be shambolic enough to implement, but this kind of thing looks messier still


If you're serious about proposing a fare increase, surely you'd cover all the tariffs, and not just those your members use


So the meters are unchanged? And maybe those who proposed a different (but lower, presumably) tariff can all charge their own rates, so umpteen different pricing structures on the rank?

Then there's the fuel surcharge. Looks messy

And it looks messier still, if some drivers not even going to charge the fuel surcharge

Not much to see in this article other than that though, but does underline how messy it would all be. And, as alluded to below, would hybrids and EVs also be able to charge it, or would that be another inconsistency in rank pricing


Taxi drivers in Boston 'won't charge discretionary extra for fuel' as fares increase agreed

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news ... ge-7295072

One taxi driver has seen the price of filling up rising from £80 pre-pandemic to £125 now


Image: Lincolnshire Live

A taxi driver says there is little appetite to charge customers an extra discretionary charge to reflect the rising cost of fuel as a fares are set to go up in the coming weeks. Boston Borough Council's ruling cabinet have agreed new tariffs for Hackney carriages - taxis that can be flagged down in the street or taken from a taxi rank.

The tariff for a taxi carrying up to four passengers between 7.30am and 11pm will range from £4.80 for one mile to £21 for 10 miles. The second tariff covering the period between 11pm and 7.30am, Sundays, Bank Holidays, Christmas and New Year is £7.20 for a one-mile trip and £31.50 for 10 miles.

The tariff also applies to vehicles carrying five to eight passengers between 7.30am and 11pm. Changes to the third tariff for larger vehicles between 11pm and 7.30am on Sundays, Bank Holidays and the Christmas and New Year period will be be £9.60 for the first mile, with a 10-mile journey costing £42.

Councillors also agreed a recommendation from another committee held earlier this year to introduce an additional discretionary fee of 20 pence for each journey when the cost of diesel exceeds £1.80, with a further 20p increase for every 10p rise in the cost of diesel thereafter. RAC Fuel Watch gives the latest UK average price for a litre of diesel is 199.05p.

Taxi driver Nick Hall, 45, of Nick's Taxis, is a member of Boston Hackney Carriage Association, He said that while operating costs have spiralled, there is a limit to what customers are expected to pay. Mr Hall said: "Unfortunately, customers will pay higher fares but at the same time our running costs are so high. We have no choice.

"But I don't think an awful lot of us will charge customers the discretionary extra charge for fuel. That would cause difficulties with our customers.." Mr Hall said that the cost of filling his Vauxhall Insignia with fuel has risen from £80 for a full tank pre-pandemic to £125 currently.

He said: "You're looking at less profit for airport runs because your costs have gone up. Three months ago, a set of brake pads cost £20, now it's £28. The cost of a pair of front tyres has risen by £30 in the last six months. Hopefully, better money for working unsociable hours will encourage more drivers to become available as there is currently a shortage in the early hours of a Saturday. If we can solve that, customers will get home quicker from a night out."

Roger Drury, 78, of South Parade, Boston, said: "There's only one taxi company in Boston that have electric cars - that would help absolve them from some of the rising cost of fuel. But the extra cost of fuel has to be met somewhere."

Michael Powell, 85, who lives in the town, was sympathetic to the situation taxi operators are in. He said: "Everyone in business has to make a profit. If you don't, you're not in business. If I need a taxi I will use one."


Image: Lincolnshire Live

One man, who gave his name as G.G., said: "The price of fuel is going up and so the taxi firms charge higher fares. We are paying more for everything -it's a big problem." The fares are set to rise later this summer following the publication of further public notices.

Don't like to judge people on appearances, but don't think GG would be my first port of call if I needed advice on tariff regulation

I mean, check out the nick of that bike for a start