Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies and taxi firms face paying much more in fees to council

Some fees charged to private hire and taxi operators are expected to quadruple next year.

Members of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Licensing Committee quizzed officials about the prospect of significant increases in some fees for 2024-25.

These include a 75 per cent increase in the knowledge test fee and a route test fee that could almost double.

Changes in administration and inflation have fuelled the increase, councillors were told at a committee meeting yesterday (Thursday 12 October).

A private hire vehicle licence is expected to double from £75 to £150 – and small private hire operators face a rise of more than 300 per cent in their licence fees from £167 to £700.

Larger private hire companies, with three or more cars, face fees going up by 17.6 per cent from £595 also to £700.

Vehicle transfer fees for taxis – known as hackney carriages – could more than quadruple from £52 to £220, a 323 per cent increase. Vehicle transfer fees for private hire vehicles could almost treble from £52 to £150.

The council’s regulatory services manager Jim Whitelegg told councillors that the current fees did not cover the cost of administering the service.

He said that the council did not make a profit from licensing fees but costs had gone up and council tax payers had been subsidising the process.

Mr Whitelegg told the committee that the minimum proposed increase was 6 per cent, aimed at covering pay inflation.

He said: “The need to increase some licensing fees by more than 6 per cent is driven by the increased officer time required to administer these licences and the additional checks required.

“We do have a duty to ensure our costs are recovered and to avoid surpluses and deficits.”

Green councillor Kerry Pickett asked why some of the charges were increasing by such large percentages.

Mr Whitelegg said that fees had been “artificially low” for years and, with the increases, would still be lower than neighbouring councils.

He said that the proposed £220 a year private hire vehicle licence worked out at £2.88 a week while the charges for the knowledge test and route test did not recoup the costs of running them.

Conservative councillor Carol Theobald asked why the vehicle transfer fees were increasing.

Mr Whitelegg said that the amount of time to process transfers was the same as for a new application and would be “more realistic”.

Green group convenor councillor Steve Davis asked if the increases had gone before the trade through the Taxi Forum.

Mr Whitelegg said that the figures had been “circulated” to the trade after the most recent forum meeting to allow for feedback.

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IDFIMH

Ignoring the actual figures, why was situation allowed to arise where some fees are tripling to reflect true cost recovery levels?

It's like tariffs not increasing for years, and then a huge splurge to bring them into line. Only, as regards the fees here, it's a whole lot worse

Was looking at some of the comments earlier, and it's full of the usual dafties, who probably think they're being clever. I mean...


And people wonder where the 'conspiracy theories' about 15-minute cities and the like come from? This person seems to think you can't work anywhere except where you live


Sounds a bit like what I do, in truth, but maybe a bit more regularly

But I certainly don't use the fact that I drive a taxi to park anywhere when I go shopping. Of course, there are some drivers who will park on the ranks (say) to go shopping, but they tend to be the minority.

Now this one sounds a bit more sensible, and sounds like someone in the trade with an agenda, but you have to read between the lines to find it. Or, at least, that's my take


But I'd guess existing grassroots drivers wouldn't be bothered enough to take the action suggested. I mean, the worst of the increases seem to be on operators, or for new badge applicants taking the topo and route tests.

Fees for transferring licences maybe a different kettle of fish, but how often does that happen for PHVs, if not HCs?

Couldn't understand some of the figures, though. I mean:

"A private hire vehicle licence is expected to double from £75 to £150..."

That sounds ludicrously cheap. Can't be right surely, and if it is currently £75, hardly a surprise it's going up signficantly

Then the article says:

"He said that the proposed £220 a year private hire vehicle licence worked out at £2.88 a week..."

Shurely shum mistake, as Mr Bond once said.

But wouldn't be surprised if the comment above is from a private hire operator rather than a grassroots driver...

But I'm sure someone one here can clarify things

Partly due to a council that had no overall control and councillors not wanting to be seen to be mean to the taxi/PH trade.

And partly due to one of the biggest mouths not saying anything about having the cheapest vehicle license in the country, at one time only £65.

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IDFIMH

Maybe that was from the local GMB rep, who had a member's meeting to discuss the license fee issue 4 hours after the committee meeting decided on them.

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IDFIMH

A trade that has been arguing successfully for a 10% plus increase in fares can't really moan too much over a 6% increase in fees.

Officers are entitled to a pay rise too.

As for the rise in PH vehicle licenses, well those drivers that have had the council's pants down for the last 10 years can't really say too much.

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IDFIMH

Not much to see here, but looks like PHVs have been undercharged in Lichfield as well, but are now facing a hefty rise


Future of taxi provision in Lichfield and Burntwood to be discussed by councillors

https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/2023/12/12/ ... uncillors/

The future of taxi provision in Lichfield and Burntwood is set to be reviewed.

Lichfield District Council’s regulatory and licensing committee will hear about plans for for hackney carriage and private hire regulation at a meeting this week.

The current policy sets out a conditions that drivers and operators are required to meet.

A report says the review will focus on a number of factors, including whether to use discounted licence costs to boost the number of hybrid or electric and wheelchair accessible taxis.

Fares will also be considered in order to “take account of inflation and to ensure they remain comparable to those set by neighbouring councils”.

The report said:

“A meeting was held with licensed drivers and representatives of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers in Octover. Drivers provided feedback about several matters that they would like to see reviewed which form the basis of this recommendation.

“Officers also believe that improvements could be made to the current policy to ensure that swift and proportionate action can be taken to keep the public safe when conditions are breached. This could be within open and transparent parameters set by the committee.”
Lichfield District Council report

The review will also consider moving away from a current penalty points system to a more “prescribed list of contraventions” which would have pre-determined sanctions.

The proposed review will be discussed by the committee alongside reviews to the cost for taxi operators.

Drivers will face an increase of 6% to apply for a new or renewal taxi licence, up from £203 to £216. Vehicle costs will also be on the up, with hackney carriages costing £204 instead of the current £177.50 a year, while private hire will rise from £122.50 to £204 – an increase of 67%.

Meanwhile operators will see a hike to £369 for five years – an increase on the current fees of £264 for those running up to five vehicles and £200 for those with six or more.

The potential review of taxi services and the proposed changes to charges will both be discussed at the regulatory and licensing committee meeting tomorrow (13th December).

Google has just told me that the distance from Lichfield to Wolverhampton is 14 miles.

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IDFIMH

This should really have been put in a different thread, but the original report on Lichfield was included above because of the apparent parallel with B&H with a huge rise in PHV fees to bring them into line.

Anyway, the wording of this is a bit odd, and very imprecise.

And some of the figures look like complete nonsense. I mean, presumably the figures in the two paragraphs commencing 'bosses' is about plate fees, but the first paragraph says PHV fees are going up hugely, but the second one says they're only increasing by £2

Or maybe the first paragraph is about badges, and the second about plates, and the £205 PH fee is the same for both?

But interesting that they've made the operator's fees the same irrespective of vehicle numbers, as opposed to a two-tier fee structure previously.

Anyway, no doubt the official papers are a lot clearer, but spent far too much time trying to work it all out already, not to mention typing all this out...


Prices of operating taxis in Lichfield District set to rise

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/loc ... t-to-rise/

Proposals to increase the cost of operators applying for or renewing taxi licences in Lichfield District could go ahead.

Bosses have applied for the new charges to come in as of April 1 – they include the price of hackney carriages going up to £205 instead of the current £177.50 a year, while private hire will rise from £122.50 to £205 – an increase of 67 per-cent.

But the cost of applying for a new private hire vehicle licence or to renew one has only increased by £2 – from £203 to £205. A report to cabinet before Christmas recommended a six per cent increase to £216.

The cost of running 1-5 vehicles over a five year period has been brought into line with those of operating six vehicles or over – both figures are proposed at £370 per vehicle.

Any objections, comments or queries about the proposed charges should be sent via email to taxi.licensing@lichfielddc.gov.uk or by post to the Licensing Team, District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield. WS13 6YY by9March 2024.

Makes no sense to me at all.

But maybe calling licensing officers/councillors 'bosses' kind of made me want to move on without really reading it.

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IDFIMH

It's unusual for press reports to really get to grips with the badge/plate distinction, particularly when it really matters, and the two tend to get conflated (like the t-word).

But it's articles about licensing fees where it's always most noticeable. Or maybe it's just more noticeable because the badge/plate distinction is of central importance when it comes to fees