CORBY CRISIS
CORBY HACKNEY DRIVERS LOSE THE BATTLE: IS THIS THE END OF CORBY AS A BLACK CAB TOWN?
Corby taxi drivers say a fare hike imposed by North Northants unitary council will mean the end of ‘cheap as chips’ journeys and have a huge impact on cabbies’ livelihoods and passengers’ purses. The council’s decision to bring all fares across Corby,
Kettering,
Wellingborough and East Northants into line, has been condemned by both Corby taxi drivers and Corby councillors The price hike will see the starting rate rise from £2.20 to £3.20 and see the cost of a five-mile fare rise from £9.30 to £14; an increase of more than 50 per cent. The fare rates in the other towns were
already higher and so
customers in those areas will not see such a big price hike. The move has been opposed for months by NPHTA members, Corby Hackney Owners’ Association and a number of drivers spoke at a meeting at Corby Cube. One said: “What you have done is put us out of business. Private hire is going to get all the fares. People are not going to be able to afford these new rates.” Another said rather than harmonising, the increase would do harm to drivers and passengers and would lead to an increase in unlicensed cabs on the road which could lead to safety issues. Neil Rielly, Chairman of the association told the executive it had no understanding of the issues or of how the taxi industry operates in Corby. “You are going to pit driver against driver”, he said. Customers won’t know what the fares are. You are playing God with our lives.”
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He gave NN Journal an example of a regular customer of his who will now see their daily taxi journey to work increase by £8, or £40 a week. Corby town councillor, Martin Reuby, told the executive, which is led by Oundle councillor Jason Smithers, that they were out of step with the town’s culture. He said: “Corby is a town which has always relied on taxis. To try to harmonise Corby taxis with other areas which do not have such a reliance on taxis as a mode of transport is not comparing like with like. “Yes we are unique in Northants and unashamedly so, so please stop trying with your political ideology to make everything the same - we are not the same and people in Corby do not wish to be. “You have no member on your executive from Corby. How can you possibly claim to know what is right for the people of this town when you have chosen to load your executive with councillors from East Northants? “It is ludicrous that you are making decisions that affect Corby without fully understanding the culture here and the ramifications of this decision.” The town has 114 licensed hackney cabs in the town and around another 100 private hire vehicles. Since the 1960s the town has been
known for its hackney cabs, with many relying on taxis to get to work, take their kids to
school and for
supermarket or social trips for the elderly. Speaking after the meeting cabbie Ian Robb, who is a
director of Sky Cabs a mutual organisation that represents the majority of Corby’s hackney drivers, said the current model operating in the town had revolved around cheap fares with taxi drivers doing many journeys in a shift. He said the impact of the decision will mean a drop in demand as customers will not be able to afford the fare rise, which will lead to a drop in supply. He said currently Corby people can expect just a six-minute wait from booking a taxi to it turning up outside their door, but this quick service would not continue if drivers left the trade. Clllr David Brackenbury who is the portfolio holder for growth and regeneration, said the hackney carriage trade in the north of the county had agreed a rise on the maximum fare rate was needed and that it was right to harmonise fares so that people paid the same wherever they travelled in the geographic area. He suggested the drivers in Corby come together and agree their own maximum fare. After the meeting some drivers told NN Journal that this suggestion was unworkable, would cause friction between cabbies and that it was the council’s role as the licensing authority to set the rates.
OCTOBER 2022 PHTM
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