Taxi Driver Online

This all looks a tad overblown, and the 'backlash' just sounds like the kind of noises some in the trade would make irrespective of the increases, which in this case look like chickenfeed, and the type of increases most in the trade would actually be thankful for, because the sums aren't significant.

Maybe they do have a point, though, with regard to how a significant surplus has turned into a significant deficit, but who knows?

Funny thing, too, is that the size of the deficit seems pretty high, yet the fee increases to deal with it seem very low...

They do issue a shedload of licences there, though, so to that extent any sums in terms of either surpluses and deficits are going to look pretty big.

And presumably they'll have lost a lot of cars because of cross-border stuff etc, but no mention of that in the piece.


Council plan to put up fees for Kirklees taxi drivers sparks backlash

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/council-plan- ... 00668.html

Kirklees Council plans to increase fees for taxi drivers who say they are already struggling in the current economic climate.

The hackney carriage and private hire licensing department has been running at a deficit for five years. The most recent figures from 2023/24 showed a deficit of £132,000, considering the income from licensing fees against the cost of running the service. Prior to 2015, the service was running at a surplus.

The local authority wants to put charges up by three per cent between now and March 31, 2026. This would be followed by a further increase of two per cent, or the rate of inflation if it is lower, in 2026/27 and then again in 2027/28. The council says this will allow the service to break even by March 2027.

Some examples of what this would look like are given in a recently published report, with the cost of a three year driver’s licence rising from £249.20 to £257 with the three per cent increase. By 2027/28, taking into account the subsequent increases, this figure would stand at £267.

The cost of a five year operator licence which covers three or more vehicles would rise from £1,166 to £1,201, with the three per cent uplift. By 2027/28, the cost would have risen by a total of £82.

Next Monday (September 15), Kirklees Council’s Licensing and Safety Committee will meet to make a decision on the proposed increase. This comes after council’s finance service carried out a full review of the hackney carriage and private hire budget looking back to 2015 - the time of the last full review.

Guidance states that licensing fees can only be based on full cost recovery and cannot be used to generate a profit. The licensing authority can take into account any surplus or deficit generated in previous years when setting fees.

The council says the move is necessary to reduce costs associated with administration and consultation, and to cover rising service costs. The local authority has consulted on its plans with members of the trade and received 160 representations in response. Each spoke of the hardships currently being experienced by drivers and operators and were critical of the council’s licensing department, calling for greater transparency.

One comment signed by 31 people said: “The current proposal to raise fees places an unfair and disproportionate burden on taxi drivers and operators, many of whom are already struggling with ongoing economic pressures, including rising fuel, insurance, and maintenance costs. What is even more concerning is the complete lack of transparency regarding the financial rationale behind these increases.

“Prior to 2015, it is a known fact within the trade that the licensing service generated substantial surpluses. Despite repeated calls for disclosure, Kirklees Council has failed to release any financial documentation or justification relating to how those surpluses were generated, used, or carried forward. This refusal to disclose critical financial data undermines trust in the process and raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the proposed increases.”

Responding to this objection, council officers said that the budget prior to 2015 should have been addressed when fees were reviewed in 2015. The objection went on to request for financial information which the council said it provided.

Another objection signed by 32 people added: “At a time when the cost of living remains high, fuel prices are volatile, and many drivers are still recovering from the financial hardships caused by the pandemic, any increase in fees would place an unfair and unnecessary burden on hardworking taxi drivers. Many of us are already struggling to make ends meet, and further financial pressure may push some out of the trade altogether.”

Officers have recommended that the Licensing and Safety Committee approve the proposed changes as set out in the report. If agreed, the changes will come in from a date of the committee’s choosing.