Issue - meetings

The Senior Specialist – Licensing and Compliance had submitted a report on a review of the Table of Fares charged by a hackney carriage.

The report had been considered by the Licensing Committee on 10 June 2022. Licensing Committee had recommended that Executive be requested to approve their amended recommendations set out on page 17 of the report.

Councillor M Fitzgerald highlighted an error on page 17, that under Tariff 1 it should have read;

‘if the distance exceeds 1.6 kilometre (1 mile) for the first 1.6 kilometre (1 mile)’

Councillor M Fitzgerald moved the recommendations as per the Licensing Committee.

This was seconded by Councillor T Markley. The motion was unanimously agreed.

The decision

Resolved

That the Table of Fares be approved as per the recommendations from the Licensing Committee set out on page 17 of the report.

The Senior Specialist – Licensing and Compliance submitted a report asking members to consider a review of the Table of Fares charged by a hackney carriage.

The table of fares review was usually carried out annually however it was noted that no review had taken place in 2019, 2020 or 2021 and the fares had remained as was in 2018.

For this year a consultation exercise had been carried out with the hackney carriage trade between 19 April and 13 May 2022. From the consultation 13 responses had been received which members considered during the decision-making process.

In light of the current economic picture in the UK with rising fuel prices, inflation and cost of living members had a full and frank debate on the impact on the hackney carriage trade.

Questions and discussion also ensued between members and representatives of the taxi trade who attended the meeting.

Members debated potential increases in the fares but also the rewording of several of the different tariffs.

Councillor A Smith moved that the fares be increased by 10%, rounded if appropriate, and to amend the wording of tariffs 2 and 3 as follows:

Tariff 2 – to bring forward the hire time to 11pm from midnight, and

Tariff 3 – to extend the hire time from 4am to 6am.

Councillor A Smith also proposed that the committee review the fares in 6 months’ time.

The motion was seconded by Councillor J Crouch.

A vote was taken, 7 voted in favour, 0 against and 0 abstentions. The motion was carried.

Recommended

That Executive be requested to agree that –

1. The fares be increased by 10%, rounded if appropriate, and to amend the wording of tariffs 2 and 3 as follows:

Tariff 2 – to bring forward the hire time to 11pm from midnight, and Tariff 3 – to extend the hire time from 4am to 6am;

2. The table of fares be reviewed again in 6 months’ time.