Taxi Driver Online

Nothing particular interesting here except the 2013 thing

But has reminded me about something I've been meaning to ask...


Have your say on new proposed increases to taxi fares

https://news.exeter.gov.uk/have-your-sa ... axi-fares/

People are being asked to have their say on proposed new taxi fares across Exeter.

A consultation is taking place and members of the public can make comments right up until 2 November.

Exeter City Council is responsible for setting fares in the city and this follows a request from both of the Exeter St David’s Hackney Carriage Associations.

The last tariff increase in Exeter was in 2013.

The latest proposals see a rise in tariffs from £2.20 to £2.70 for the first 72 yards (or part thereof) and £0.10 for each subsequent 72 yards (or part thereof), between 7am and 7pm on any other day other than Sundays or Bank Holidays.

The second tariff for journeys between 7pm and 7am and on Sundays, proposes a rise from £2.70 to £3.20 for the first 57 yards (or part thereof) and £0.10 for each subsequent 57 yards (or part thereof).

There are also new proposals for Bank Holidays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

The proposed increases should be regarded as the maximum fares that can be charged. Taxi proprietors are not tied to charging the maximum fare, but are not permitted to charge more than the tariff price shown on the meter.

To find out more about the proposed new fares, go to https://exeter.gov.uk/fare-increase/

Anyone wishing to object to the increased fares is asked to email nigel.marston@exeter.gov.uk or write to Nigel Marston, Principal Licensing Officer, Exeter City Council, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter, EX1 1RQ, before 2 November.

Anyway, is it just me, or is the point made in the highlighted bit being made more and more recently by officialdom, or has that always been the case?

Of course, it's a point often made by the trade, although maybe not so much by the powers that be.

But seems to be almost the norm now, while five years ago (say), it would have been more unusual.

probably in a bid to remind all the moaning Minnie's who object that they don't have to charge it

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

Shame on the local trade.

_________________
IDFIMH

It's being done to make it easier for councillors to justify an increase.

As they can say to anyone moaning that drivers can charge less.

_________________
IDFIMH

Indeed, Sussex, but that wasn't my question

I think it's nearly always made, just that it's recently been highlighted more to the press.

_________________
IDFIMH

One for Sussex to get annoyed about - they don't use the h-word in the headline, but they use something else

And the h-word does appear further down

Anyway, this is mostly rehash of the council's stuff, and some public comments from Facebook. Odd thing is, though, that a 30 per cent figure appears from nowhere, and that's the main basis of the headline here and the comments, but where the 30 per cent figure appears from isn't clear at all

And even if it was an overall 30 per cent, since it's the first rise in nine years, in the current climate it hardly justifies the slightly hysterical reporting.

Great photo of the HCs, though - but what a strange-looking bunch


Exeter taxi fares are set for a massive increase

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... ve-7712218

The public has until November 2 to submit their comments on plans that would see an almost 30 per cent rise in tariffs


Image: DevonLive/Mary Stenson

A public consultation has been launched following proposals to hike up Exeter taxi fares in Exeter by 30 per cent. The last tariff increase in Exeter was nine years ago in 2013.

The request, from both of the Exeter St David’s Hackney Carriage Associations, would see a rise in hackney carriage and private hire tariffs from £2.20 to £2.70 for the first 72 yards (or part thereof) and £0.10 for each subsequent 72 yards (or part thereof), between 7am and 7pm, on any other day other than Sundays or Bank Holidays.

The second tariff for journeys between 7pm and 7am and on Sundays, proposes a rise from £2.70 to £3.20 for the first 57 yards (or part thereof) and £0.10 for each subsequent 57 yards (or part thereof). There are also new proposals for Bank Holidays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Exeter City Council is responsible for setting fares in the city so has launched a public consultation for people to give their views. The deadline for comments to be received is up until November 2.

On the council's Facebook page, the proposals have received a mixed reaction.

A local resident said: "The fares in Exeter are absolutely extortionate. Saying that, the UK as a whole is expensive, but at least in other cities in the UK, Uber and Bolt are an option.

"Sadly, in Exeter, they charge what they want as there's very little competition. I've used taxis around the world and the UK, and Exeter have always been the most expensive."

Another added: "Bus service problems continue so maybe taxi firms decided to cash in? If it is a 30 per cent hike then that is pretty shameful as they are too expensive anyway."

Giving a different perspective, another resident said: "With the cost of fuel and the additional cost of everything else, I'm not surprised by this at all."

Supportive of an increase, a person commented: "Poor taxi drivers have been waiting 13 years for a fare increase by Exeter city council. This is unacceptable.

"The Stagecoach buses in Exeter aren't reliable anymore. The red and black taxis are the most reliable public transport in Exeter; they absolutely deserve a fare increase."

The consultation details state that the proposed increases should be regarded as the maximum fares that can be charged. Taxi proprietors are not tied to charging the maximum fare, but are not permitted to charge more than the tariff price shown on the meter.

To find out more about the proposed new fares please click here. Anyone wishing to object to the increased fares is asked to email nigel.marston@exeter.gov.uk or write to Nigel Marston, Principal Licensing Officer, Exeter City Council, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter, EX1 1RQ, before November 2.

For schedule of proposed tariffs, click on link below to Exeter City Council website:

https://exeter.gov.uk/fare-increase/

So the link to the council's site goes to a detailed tariff card-style outline of the new fares. Which is all very well, but where does the 30 per cent figure come from?

There are no figures rationalising the 30 per cent, so is it the usual worst-case scenario, or an average, or what?

Plenty of info on the proposed figures, but next-to-nothing about the old fares, and I can't find a current tariff card on the council's website.

But what is clear is that all fares can't be going up 30 per cent, because the two of the old figures that we are given don't quite come to 30 per cent on the new tariff.

So the T1 flag is currently £2.20, and would go up to £2.70, which 22.7%.

And T2 flag currently £2.70, which would rise to £3.20, thus 18.5%.

So if you only got a run on the flagfall (albeit that you only get 72 yards on T1 and 57 yards on T2), then the 'hikes' are nothing like 30 per cent.

The Devon Live article includes the whole of the proposed tariff card, so there's a blizzard of figures. But the article is largely premised on the 30 per cent increase, and that's simply not explained

I think they look great.

Might be able to help out the post office when they lose the 10,000 staff they want to.

_________________
IDFIMH

why has one got a black bonnet none of the others do so is that not in line with the livery rules ?

Almost matches the football kit but not the Rugby kit and as rugby is a bigger sport along the banks of the Exe than football quite surprising

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

Yes, noticed that one as well. Funny thing is, all the rest look like either Toyota hybrids, or mid-sized WAVs. The one with the black bonnet looks more like a mid-sized 4x4, so an odd vehicle for an HC anywhere.

I don't actually mind the press using the word 'hike' when fares have gone up by 30%. If indeed they did.

I just get the hump when the press uses the word 'hike' when fares merely go up by inflation or to cover increased motoring costs.

_________________
IDFIMH

Well if the earlier article was confusing as regards where the huge percentage rise figure came from, this one is maybe going in the opposite direction.

But I think it vindicates what I said at the time about the biggest rises being on the short runs, but the headline 30 per cent figure just seemed to be magicked out of thin air and was unrepresentative of the scenario as a whole

Here I think the trade is going in the opposite direction and trying to downplay the increases, but again there's not much in the way of concrete information, and the usual confusing stuff.

For a kick off, the author seems to think T2 applies to the longer trips rather than time of day


Exeter taxi drivers 'struggling to make ends meet' as price hike proposed

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... ke-7824649

A decision on whether to increase fares is set to be made by Exeter City Council at the end of this month


Image: Devon Live

Proposals to increase hackney carriage fares for the first time in nine years have been defended by taxi drivers who say they are struggling to make ends meet. The main bulk of the rise is said to be nine per cent and relates to tariff two journeys - ones which are not a very short distance.

However, very short journeys will see a bigger hike. A public consultation has been carried out by Exeter City Council (ECC) and the results are yet to be announced.

A final decision will be made by its executive committee on November 29. In the meantime, members of St David's Taxi Association have explained why there is a need for fares to increase and what a difference it will make to drivers.

Amir Mossadegh, chairman of St David's Taxi Association, said: "The last time the council increased fares was in 2013 and it was by a small amount as the price of fuel had gone up. The price of fuel has since gone up more than 30 per cent, along with the cost of servicing, taxing and repairing vehicles.

"A tyre has increased from £38 to £52 and even a box of disposable gloves has increased from £2.50 to £12 in the last two to three years. The tariffs suggested by ECC, less than inflation, are based on fares charged in Guildford in Surrey and we are happy with that. The proposed new tariffs will mean drivers are better off by around £12 a day."

The new fares would see a rise in hackney carriage and private hire tariffs from £2.20 to £2.70 for the first 72 yards (or part thereof) and £0.10 for each subsequent 72 yards (or part thereof), between 7am and 7pm, on any other day other than Sundays or Bank Holidays.

The second tariff for journeys between 7pm and 7am and on Sundays, proposes a rise from £2.70 to £3.20 for the first 57 yards (or part thereof) and £0.10 for each subsequent 57 yards (or part thereof). There are also new proposals for Bank Holidays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Mr Mossadegh, lecturer for Persian at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at Exeter University and also an occasional taxi driver at weekends, explained: "Mileage is important. There is a different tariff for 'pull off' journeys.

"If a taxi driver has been waiting outside John Lewis for 40 minutes and takes someone close by to Unit 1 nightclub, the fare is just £2.50. The new fare makes it £4 which is fairer to drivers for short distances. For private hire vehicles the same distance will be at least £6.50.

"For all private hire prices, the minimum charge is £6. Private hire can set their own prices.

"However, our main fares are mostly people going out of the city. Our tariff one at the moment is £2.20 per mile and the new tariff will be £2.40 per mile which is an increase of nine per cent.

"The inflation is 10.1 per cent whereas the price of fuel has gone up over 40 per cent. For customers, it means 20p extra per mile so it's not a lot if you consider the ratio."

ECC states that new hackney carriage vehicles must be under three years old and wrapped in the city’s red and black scheme with the city crest applied and be fitted with in-cab CCTV. The vehicles must also be either a Euro 6 emission vehicle with wheelchair access from the side or an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV), either fully electric or a plug-in hybrid that produces no more than 75g/km of CO2.

Mr Mossadegh said: "That cost is a lot of money to us. It's also more expensive to insure, tax and renew licenses of hackney carriages compared to a private hire vehicle.

"At the moment, some drivers are also working for private hire because they aren't earning enough money or have got delivery jobs to survive. We have also been affected because some of our taxi ranks have disappeared such as at the new bus station, Queen Street and the top of South Street.

"We also now only have one space at Exeter Central which is not easily visible and we believe is allocated in the wrong place. We desperately need these ranks to be given back for customers' convenience."

There is 100 licensed hackney carriage operational in Exeter. In contrast, there are around 600 private hire vehicles. Of the hackney carriages, around 60 have station permits.

An Exeter City Council spokesperson said: "This will be an executive decision made on November 29. The consultation results will be released as part of the executive report when the agenda is published the week before the meeting."

St David's Taxi Association also has a contract with Great Western Railway (GWR) to help transport passengers. If a fare increase is approved by ECC, it can then apply to GWR for an increase too.

I buy disposable gloves by the lorryload, obviously, and can assure Mr Mossadegh that he's exaggerating a tad

Or at least, I think I may have bought some disposable gloves a few years ago, but have forgotten


Ah, so some short runs going up 60%

Maybe that's how the original article came up with the 30% figure, which is an average based on the much smaller percentage increases on longer runs?

But can't really see on the basis of the figures supplied how a run like that can increase from £2.50 to £4?

Only thing I can think of is that the flagfall distance has been reduced dramatically. In fact, maybe that has been mentioned, but just can't be bothered wading through all that stuff again

Anyway, good to see that 'a lecturer for Persian at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at Exeter University and also an occasional taxi driver at weekends' is head of the local HCA and representing the trade here

Wonder how many 'occasional' weekend hours he actually works?