Taxi Driver Online

Council makes proposal to raise taxi fares in Great Yarmouth

http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/great-y ... -1-5744616

Taxi users in Great Yarmouth could be paying more for journeys after the first price hike in five years was put forward.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is proposing to increase the price of journeys, as revealed in a report to its licensing committee.

But Taxi drivers have clubbed together to hit back at what they called “ridiculous” proposals.

Taxi journeys are currently priced in one of four tariffs.

Should the council approve plans for the increase, the cost over one mile of ‘tariff one’ journeys - distances up to 176 yards between 6am to 11pm - would rise by £1.20.

A tariff one journey of 4.35 miles from James Paget University Hospital to Northgate Hospital would see fares rise by £2.43 to £13.13 from its current price of £10.70.

A tariff one journey of 6.5 miles from White Hart pub in Hopton to Great Yarmouth railway station would cost £18.50 - an increase of £3.50.

Manager of Ocean Cabs, Lesley Martin, has described the council’s proposals as “ridiculous”.

“I do not agree with it at all. We do not receive a lot of money as people find it difficult to pay for them as it is.

“I think the proposals are ridiculous because people will just end up not getting taxis as often. I do not want these plans to go ahead,” she said.

Members of Great Yarmouth Borough council’s licensing committee will discuss the proposed increase at a meeting on Monday night.

If the committee approves the rise, the new fares will have to be formally advertised to see if there are any objections.

Vice chairman of the licensing committee, Graham Carpenter, said: “Councils have the power to review hackney carriage fares and this normally happens at the request of the taxi trade as it is felt they are best placed to know whether their business can withstand any increase.

“The council has received a request from a local taxi company to increase fares, together with proposed new charges, and has informed plate holders and drivers of the company’s proposals. One objection has been received.”

An independent driver who did not want to be named, said: “The fare rise will kill us. It would cause big problems and have a big effect on business. I do not want it to happen.”

However, another independent driver who also did not want to be named believes the rise will have little impact on taxi drivers.

He said: “The biggest problem we have is with the number of taxi drivers there are. I would not be against the rise because it may get rid of a few drivers.”

Suspect you'll actually just end up with more drivers sitting around doing nothing.

But this looks like one of these proposals made by one firm or group that councils have to consider, but little chance of actual implementation.

However, it *did* happen in the Wirral

The metered fare is the maximum a driver can charge.

All they have to do is meter at the new rate, charge at the old rate. Simple, innit?

What’s that you say, Timothy? Oh yeah, you’re right, all the doomsayers charge the new rate regardless?

Of course they do.

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Former taxi driver

remember that when you get your arse felt by HMRC,which set of figures do you think theyll base their calcuations on,the set rate approved by the council.or the fantasy discount rate everyone will say theyre charging????

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i started out with nothing and ive still got most of it left

Would you like to read my post before you reply?

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Former taxi driver

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Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !

Wasn’t asking you.

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Former taxi driver

I bet the person objecting will be the first one to implement the new fares? Drivers who object to a fare increase need killing on the spot. As for the person in the post who's the owner of a company, she's treading a very fine line.

Councillors shoot down proposed Great Yarmouth taxi price hike in less than 10 minutes

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/ta ... -1-5747390

A proposed price hike of taxi fares has been unanimously rejected by councillors.

The request to increase fares was made to Great Yarmouth Borough Council by an unnamed local taxi firm, but was rejected by the licensing committee in just 10 minutes on Monday.

Under the proposals, the day and night rates, excluding Sundays, would have increased by 75p per mile.

On Sundays, the cost would rise by £1.05 per mile, and 65p under the Christmas and New Year rate.

Cllr Michael Jeal said: “They have defeated their own argument when they say their costs have increased because everyone has to deal with the rise.

“We are all dealing with austerity and I think this is excessive.

“People who use taxis, especially to go to the shops and supermarkets, will start using the buses because it costs them less.

“They will be cutting their noses off to spite their face.”

The firm behind the proposal said in a statement to the meeting: “Taxi fares have not increased since 2013 but operating costs have.

“Hourly rates of pay have increased, and a further increase is being discussed, and fuel prices are on the increase.

“Everyone’s cost of living is on the rise and we think it is much deserved.”

Had the proposals been approved by the council, they would have been put forward for public consultation before any increase was introduced.

Cllr Graham Carpenter, vice chairman of the committee, said: “We try to put these decisions outside the council so the public can make their decision.

“This was brought to us by an independent firm.”

The move had sparked a backlash from some taxi drivers.

One independent taxi driver responded to the council consultation, saying: “The price increase is unnecessary and would be detrimental to all those who are independent and the smaller taxi companies.

“With Great Yarmouth being a deprived area, all the increase will achieve is the small tips we do receive stopping altogether.

“There are many times when we sit out there for hours on end waiting for our next job so we can make ends meet at home and this proposed price increase would surely make a very hard job a lot harder.”