MAY 2009 ...FURY!!!
TAXI BOSSES HIT BY MASSIVE PRICE HIKE IN KIRKLEES
Taxi bosses have been hit by a seven-fold increase in the cost of their licences. Kirklees Council’s cabi- net approved a series of
inflation-busting
price hikes last month. Operator licences for firms with more than three cars will rise from £53 to £380. Smaller cab companies will see their licences increase from £53 to £110. Drivers will also be hit, with the cost of renew- ing a taxi licence rising 62 per cent from £37 to £60. A new driver’s licence will go up from £65 to £85. A council officers’ report to cabinet says the price hike was nec- essary to bring Kirklees in line with the rest of West Yorkshire. The new operator’s fee of £380 in Kirklees com- pares with £108 in
Calderdale, £461 in Leeds, £212 in Wakefield and £100 in Bradford. The new driver’s renewal fee of £60 in Kirklees compares with £84 in Calderdale, £59 in Leeds, £72 in Wake- field and £60 in Bradford. The report warns: “Should
Kirklees
decide to maintain charges at a significant- ly lower level to those of neighbouring author- ities, Kirklees may become saturated with new applications.” The report goes on to say that a large increase in the number of
taxis in Kirklees
could lead to more ille- gal plying for trade, a fall in drivers’ income, more congestion in town centres, parking and noise problems and increased crime and disorder within the taxi trade.
The report adds: “Dis- proportionate increases in fees, particularly dur- ing a period of economic downturn, may cause anxiety within the taxi trade itself.” Cabinet member for regeneration Cllr David Sheard proposed the price rises at the meet- ing at Huddersfield Town Hall. The Heckmondwike Labour man also raised concerns about taxi telephone operators at the meeting. He said: “Every taxi driver has to have a criminal record check every two years, but the people taking the phone calls don’t have to be checked. “That’s the person you’re going to tell that your house will be empty because you’re going on holiday for a few weeks.”
WORCESTER DRIVERS ANGRY AT LICENCE FEE INCREASES
More than 100 furious taxi drivers piled into Worcester’s Guildhall to protest at licence fee increases. Worcester taxi drivers warn that many will be forced out of business and that ultimately the cost will be passed on to the Worcester public via higher fares. But the huge fee rises were confirmed by Wor- cester City Council’s licensing committee despite the presence of the protesting drivers. Kershid Baig, of the Worcester Taxi Drivers’ Association, told the committee: “The trade is already affected by the credit crunch with takings down 40 per cent. These increases will have to be passed on to the public.” The council is increas- ing the annual renewal fee for city taxi drivers by 35 per cent, from
£252 to £340. New drivers’ applica- tions fees will rise by nearly 20 per cent, from £336 to £399, while pri- vate hire firms with more than one car will be hit hardest of all, paying an extra £50 per vehicle on top of the existing fee of about £250. Driver PatBorthwick told the Worcester News: “Other authorities do not charge nearly somuch.” But councillors said they were standing raising licence fees so that the costs in issuing licences were covered. The council’s head of environmental health Martin Gillies said: “Our income from taxi licences is just over £100,000 a year. The cost of providing the service to the council is roughly £141,000, so we’re actually suffering an annual loss.”
Mmmm...Well isn’t that nice! Just as times get hard and councils are downsizing and cutting back on their expenses and staff.. everywhere in the country the licence fees are going up! I’m afraid to say that all of these councils had better be extremely careful because more and more of the trade are standing up and saying: “no we don’t accept these fees and we will now do an in depth investigation of the council’s costs”. If your council has downsized or failed to justify these increases you might want
phone the Association for advice or visit us at the exhibition on the 27 or 28 May and speak to our fees expert and maybe win a Mercedes at the same time...Ed
PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI MONTHLY 39
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