FARES ANDFEES
ROW AS THURROCK LICENCE HIKE PLAN FALTERS
Thurrock Council’s plans to hike up the cost of some taxi licences by as much as 233 per cent have been thrown out by its licensing commit- tee.
The committee voted to defer a review of the Labour-run authority’s licensing application fees amid concerns the increases were too steep.
According to the Thur- rock Gazette, a report proposed putting the licence fee for new pri- vate hire taxi drivers up by 188 per cent from £125 for three years, to £120 annually.
It also proposed increasing charges for renewing the licence for private hire drivers from £90 for three
years, to £100 annual- ly, an increase of 233 per cent.
Licence charges for new hackney carriage drivers were set to go up to £120 a year, where before it was free - renewing the licence was also free before, but was set to increase to £100 a year.
Vice-chairman of the committee, Tory coun- cillor Tunde Ojetola, said after the meeting: “Thurrock Conserva- tives have been pushing for this serv- ice to be self funding for a number of years. “The plans put in front of us had merit and it is clear the charges for administering and issuing taxi and other licences must be
borne from the appli- cants, not the council tax payer. “However, plans to introduce yearly appli- cations just tie the council and applicants up in red tape.
“Any increase could not be agreed as sup- porting figures could not be justified.” Labour councillor Mike Stone, chairman of the committee, slammed the Tories for claiming they had defeated the planned increases.
He said: “Thurrock Conservatives had six years to address this issue and failed. “Ideally, licensing fees and charges would have been increased gradually, in line with inflation.”
NORTH EAST LINCS LICENCE FEES TO RISE BY NINE PER CENT
Taxi drivers in North East Lincolnshire could be hit with a nine per cent rise in their licence fees from this month, as they continue to battle ris- ing fuel and insurance costs.
The council’s commu- nity protection com- mittee voted in favour of the increase, which officers say is neces- sary to plug a shortfall in income caused by a reduction in the num- ber of new licences being issued. However, one council- lor expressed fears that the move will force drivers to pass on the increase to pas- sengers.
According to the Grimsby Evening Tele-
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graph, the potential price hike - which is currently out to public consultation - applies to new driver and vehi- cle licences for both PHVs and hackney carriages, licence renewals, vehicle ins- pections, door signs and changes of regis- tration plates.
If there are no objec- tions, it will take effect by the middle of this month.
Adrian Moody, the council’s licensing manager, told the committee that while a reduction in the num- ber of licence applications between April 2010 and April 2011 had caused taxi licensing income to fall by £12,600, the
cost of providing the service had remained the same.
Mr Moody said that increasing fees by less than nine per cent would mean the serv- ice would be a cost to the council. Increasing them by more than nine per cent would mean the council would make a profit, which is not allowed under legislation. Mr Moody said that despite the increase, fees in North East Lin- colnshire were still in the “mid to bottom range” of local author- ities in the region. A one-year licence for private hire or hackney carriage drivers will now cost £75.21 - up from £69.
ABERDEENSHIRE FARES UP BY 20P PER MILE
Taxi fares in Aberdeen- shire will rise 20p per mile from August. Aberdeenshire Coun- cil has approved the fare increase taking the rate per mile to £2.20.
Bill Gauld, director of Kintore’s Allways Taxis, one of the biggest taxi firms in the region, told the Aberdeen Evening Express: “It’s not a big increase. But we didn’t ask for it - it is Aberdeenshire Coun- cil’s decision.”
Mr Gauld, 59, said he worried about the
impact on trade. He said: “We know it will make a difference to customers. Trade is going down. A lot of people can’t afford to go out now.”
A spokeswoman for Aberdeenshire Coun- cil said the decision was made after dis- cussions with taxi operators in April. She said: “We are legally obliged to review the maximum fares for taxis every 18 months, but, in a longstanding agree- ment with the taxi trade, we carry out the
review annually. “The changes were agreed by the taxi trade and no appeals have been made to the Traffic Commis- sioner.”
The change came into force on August 1. The fares will increase from last year’s rate of 20p every 176 yards (161 metres) to 20p every 160 yards (146.3m).
Mmm...Message from Chief Anorak: this is the first Scottish authority to hit £6 for a two-mile fare on Tariff one. - Ed
TORFAEN TAXI LICENCE FEES WILL NOT INCREASE
Taxi drivers in Torfaen will not face a five per cent hike in licence fees this year.
The increase in hack- ney carriage and private hire vehicle licences was due to come into effect at the beginning of April but was put on hold fol- lowing the strength of opposition.
A 132-named petition by drivers and opera- tors was handed in to the council by Audrey Baber, of Gwent Cars, Cwmbran together with a letter calling on the council not to increase the fees.
The proposed in- crease would have seen a driving licence
and DVLA check rise from £97 to £105, with the cost of vehicle licences rising by £12 from £248 to £260. Operator licences for five or fewer vehicles were to remain the same at £285 and for more than five at £516. Last year, fees were increased by 2.5 per cent but are reviewed every year and increased by the rate of inflation.
The council’s income from licensing costs is £192,158.70 and it spends £301,768.10, which means it has to find £109,609.40 to make up the shortfall. In his report Steve Bendell, the council’s licensing team leader,
said the decision not to increase the fees would have a detri- mental effect on the council’s budget but at last month’s meeting of Torfaen councillors, members voted against the increase. Mrs Baber previously raised concerns that the current financial climate is making it dif- ficult for taxi firms to survive, and strongly opposed the propos- als.
Speaking on behalf of Torfaen hackney and private hire drivers after the decision, Mrs Baber told the South Wales Argus: “We are very pleased with the result of the council’s decision.”
PHTM AUGUST 2011
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