PROTEST PLIGHT MELTON FEE HIKE DEFERRED DUE TO TRADE INTERVENTION
A predicted increase in taxi fares in the Melton district was avoided last month, as council plans to increase licensing fees were deferred until January 2016. Borough councillors were to due to vote on the proposed 25 per cent fee increase at the Rural, Econom- ic and Environmental Affairs Committee last month. Members had approved the increases in June but they were to consider objections by cab firms about the scale of the proposed increases.
The council told the Melton Times that the rise was necessary to help recover more of the cost of issuing
licences; the new fees would pay for 71 per cent of the cost com- pared to 51 per cent for 2014 fees.
But the trade stated that the methods used for calculating the increases were flawed and the coun- cil should carry out a more accurate study. Mark Faulkner, who drives for Elaine’s Taxis, said: “This would be the third year running the council has increased our licence fees by 25 per cent. Our fares don’t go up by that much every year so it is a lot of money we have to keep finding. “If the increase goes ahead then fares will have to go up for the general public. Fare
Drivers and office staff protest against plans to hike licence fees
increases wouldn’t be 25 per cent but they would have to be a lot higher than they are now.”
Mr Faulkner said the extra costs would mean his company would no longer be able to run its PHVs, which are often used by passengers living in rural areas.
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Lee Franklin, of Lee’s Taxis, said: “The council must think we make a fortune from driving taxis to charge this much for our licences. They need to look at it again.” The Melton Mowbray Taxi Drivers’ Associa- tion said it would consider protesting to the district auditor if
the proposed licence fee hikes were approved. It said in a statement: “It is our opinion that no increase in fees should be permitted until a proper inde- pendent time and motion study, includ- ing a proper set of procedures to follow, has been carried out.” A council report before Committee members last month stated that it cost the authority £47,000 to process licences for taxi firms last year, but the income from the licences amount- ed to only £24,000, meaning the taxpayer had to pay the remaining 49 per cent cost of carrying out the work.
It had used 2013 fig- ures to calculate li- cence increases be- cause costs hadn’t changed significantly. Before going to press we contacted Melton Borough Council, and Mrs Justine Warner, Licensing and Compliance Offi- cer, confirmed: “A representation was received during the meeting from the Melton Taxi Associa- tion, which has resulted in the fee increase being de- ferred. The Licensing team will be carrying out time recording in order to confirm costs incurred in pro- ducing a licence and this will be fed back to further meeting in January 2016.”
NORWICH DRIVERS’ HORN PROTEST SENDS LOUD MESSAGE TO CITY HALL
City Hall has been given a loud wake-up call to the issues fac- ing taxi drivers in Norwich.
About 50 hackney cabs circled the council building last month with their horns blaring out across the city. The protest, which was significantly larger than expected, aimed to highlight an alleged lack of governance over rival private hire car drivers. Organiser Craig Dim- bleby told the Eastern Daily Press: “We had a really good turnout today and I think wo got our mes- sage across. Already the police have said they will work with us in the future and that is one of the things
we were looking for - it is the first step of a long marathon.” The demonstration was initially planned to last two hours and involve 80 taxis driv- ing around City Hall. But the police held a last-minute meeting with the drivers advising them to change their tactics. They were forced to travel to City Hall in groups of seven cars and were only allowed to perform two laps around the building.
Jon Perks, 59, chair- man of the Norwich Hackney Trade Asso- ciation, said: “I think we have made an impact today and I just hope the council takes notice that we won’t continue to be
stood on.”
The taxi association flagged up a number of issues that were affecting business. It asked for the coun- cil to provide clarity on the emission rules in the city, and for it to stop private hire drivers from parking in ranks allocated for black cabs.
It also claimed that private hire firms were able to take a simplified version of the “knowledge test”. The local authority said it intended to work closely with taxi drivers in the future on all of the issues raised.
Chief Insp Nathan Clark praised the taxi drivers for their “sen- sible” approach to the protest.
OCTOBER 2015
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