ROUND THE COUNCILS MOLE VALLEY:
Taxi drivers in Dork- ing and Leather- head have raised concerns over a planned rise in the maximum
fare
which one council- lor says could make Mole Valley the most
expensive
area for a cab in Surrey. Mole Valley District Council’s (MVDC’s) overview and scruti- ny committee dis- cussed a proposed ten per cent rise in the maximum fare cap at a meeting on January 22. Cabbies said they “already
have
enough problems” competing against app-based firms such as Uber and
TAXIS COULD BE MOST EXPENSIVE IN SURREY that
fares were
already “too high”, so they objected to the idea. The objec- tions were raised after MVDC’s Hack- ney Carriage Con- sultative working group made the recommendations, following consulta- tion with drivers. In a joint objection letter sent in by 25 Do r k i n g - b a s e d drivers and some from Leatherhead, one cabbie said: “If you increase fares too much or too quickly there is a risk you will end up doing even less work and earning less despite charg- ing the higher fares.”
ISLE OF WIGHT: TAXI FARES SET TO RISE
The cap is designed to protect cus- tomers from being overcharged and while drivers do not have to charge the maximum fare, there are concerns it would create confu- sion
if some
charged more than others. Councillor Stephen Cooksey told Sur- reyLive: “We are inflicting on our res- idents a very sig- nificant increase at a time when many of them have mo- ney difficulties. But actually taxi drivers are saying ‘no, we don’t want to do this because the nature of our busi- ness has changed’.”
Taxi fares on the Isle of Wight look set to increase for the first time in six years. The Isle of Wight County Press re- ports that the cost of a taxi will increase by 10p per mile - from £1.80 to £1.90. The initial cost of flagging down a taxi will also rise by 50p. This means the max- imum Islanders could pay for a five- mile journey bet-
ween 8am and 10pm (excluding bank and public holidays) is £12.05, compared to £11.10 previously. The plans follow a consultation with most taxi drivers cit- ing increased run- ning costs as the reason a price hike is needed. One driver said: “I believe the tariff should increase. I run two taxis in Ventnor and
costs are
increasing rapidly. “Fuel is by far my largest overhead and it has increased by over 20 per cent in the last year. “This, along with an increase in all my overheads has made it very difficult to recruit drivers due to the pay levels that we can afford to offer.” The
last price
increases were in 2013 and 2010.
BLAENAU GWENT: DRIVERS COULD BE ALLOWED TO WEAR HATS
Taxi drivers in Blae- nau Gwent could soon be allowed to wear hats, while e- cigarettes could be banned under pro- posed new rules under consideration. Drivers are currently banned from wear- ing hats except in bad weather or on medical advice, a rule aimed at ensur- ing they can be identified. An exemption is in place for those with a medical condition, but
this requires
drivers to pay to get a medical certifi- cate. A change to the rule would need to en- sure customers can still identify drivers though, the report says. According to the South Wales Argus, the change is one of several which could be put forward in a council consultation with the taxi trade, residents and cus- tomers.
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Taxi rules have been identified as a prior- ity for review after taxi licensing was devolved to the Welsh Government. A report says “new challenges the taxi
facing industry”
and “outdated legis- lation” make it a priority for review. A ban on the use of electronic cigarettes and vaping could also be considered, along with a ban on eating and drinking while the vehicle is moving. Banning the use of e-cigarettes could allow for a more ef- fective smoking en- forcement. Blaenau Gwent CBC currently issues pen- alty points where taxi drivers are believed to have been smoking in their vehicles. But a council report says some drivers have claimed they were using
electronic
cigarettes instead. “In a recent court
case taken by a neighbouring auth- ority, magistrates were concerned that the licensing officer may not have been able to see whether a cigarette was real or electronic,” the report adds. “The case was therefore lost as the authority was un- able to prove be- yond reasonable doubt that the driv- er had been smok- ing.” Banning taxi drivers from eating and drinking while a taxi is moving could also improve public safe- ty and “help pro- mote a positive pro- fessional image of taxi drivers in the Blaenau
Gwent
area,” the report adds. Councillors on the general
committee
licensing are
meeting with the trade and consider- ing a consultation over the next two months.
MARCH 2019
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