..FARES..FARES..FARES..FARES.. CRAVEN:
Fres could rise by up to 33 per cent in what would mark the district’s first fare increase in a decade. The Craven Herald reports that the proposal from Craven District Council follows warnings from taxi drivers who said they are struggling to earn more than the minimum wage. It was in 2012 when the fares were last increased to £5.30 for a two-mile trip. That could go now up to around £7 if the proposal is approved by councillors following a two-week public consultation. The rise request was made to the council in November 2021. During a consultation with drivers that followed, only ten responses were received and the council said it did not have enough evidence to propose any increase. More responses have since been submitted and a rise between 30 per cent and 33 per cent has now been pro- posed ahead of a public consultation where residents will be asked to give their views.
NEATH PORT TALBOT:
Councillors agreed to an ‘urgently’ needed taxi fares increase in Neath Port Talbot to meet the ever-increasing cost of fuel. WalesOnline reports that the County Borough Council (NPTCBC) councillors were unanimous in their sup- port for an increase in the hackney carriage fares at a meeting on Friday, March 11. The council said a fare increase was already on the agenda due to a rise in living costs. Cabinet members approved a 30% increase to the start rate of the tariff - from £2.60, up to £3.40. A three-mile journey would now cost £8.20, where it once cost £7.66. A five-mile journey would rise from £12.06 to £13. Taxi drivers in Neath Port Talbot, which has one of the lowest tariffs across the 22 authorities in Wales, are relieved to see fares going up. An impact assessment report attached to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services report revealed that the last time Neath Port Talbot saw a tariff increase was in 2019 - meaning taxi drivers had not seen a pay increase in two and a half years.
BELFAST:
The costs of taxi journeys in Northern Ireland could be on the rise again, with the Infrastructure Minister launching another review of fares on Monday 14 March. The Belfast Telegraph reports that in November last year, Nichola Mallon announced a 7.6% increase in fares as part of a post-Covid support package for the industry, and to encourage new drivers. The minister said at the time that she was committed to initiating a further fare review in Spring 2022, based on updated data, which has now started.
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These new calculations will take account of the increase in cost to parts, labour and insurance, which occurred over the course of the health pandemic. In a statment on Monday, Miss Mallon said: “The targeted consultation process on the proposals from the taxi fare review will go forward in the new Assembly mandate. I am committed to helping the industry recover from the pan- demic and to operate during these current difficult times.”
SUNDERLAND:
A bid to increase taxi fares in Sunderland has been backed by council licensing bosses. The Sunderland Echo reports that Sunderland City Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Commit- tee discussed a request from the Sunderland Hackney Carriage Operators’ Association (SHCOA) on February 28. A report prepared for the committee sets out six example journey distances for each tariff. Tariff one charges would see an increase of 20p for a one- mile journey, an extra 40p for a 2.5-mile journey and an extra 40p for a five-mile journey. Tariff two charges would see an increase of 40p for a one- mile journey, a 40p increase for a 2.5-mile journey and a 60p increase for a five-mile journey. Tariff three charges would see an increase of 40p for a one- mile journey, an extra 40p for a 2.5-mile journey and a 60p increase for a five-mile journey. The SHCOA has also requested that the initial free waiting time of 126 seconds be withdrawn, with each period of 60 seconds remaining the same as present at 20p. And the soil- ing charge is set to double, increasing from £30 to £60. The proposals now enter a 14-day period of consultation.
SLOUGH:
Taxi fares in Slough will increase for the first time since 2013. According to the Slough Observer, councillors on the licens- ing panel unanimously approved Slough taxi driver’s request to hike up their prices by about seven per cent as it has become “too costly” to operate a cab. Starting fares will now be £3.40 during the day or £5.40 between midnight and 5am for the first 250 yards and then an extra 20p for each additional 151 yards. Each adult pas- senger in excess of three people will cost an extra 40p. On Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, this will cost an extra 60p. Cllr Rob Anderson said the price of fuel has “gone through the roof” and had a “gut feeling” the new tariff charges should be approved. However, he requested more data to compare Slough’s fares with neighbouring local authorities and for it to be reviewed on an annual basis rather than wait for the Slough Taxi Federation to come to the council asking for an increase.
APRIL 2022
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