Taxi Driver Online

Don't know why they bothered with the strapline here - all it does is add the word 'are', which was presumably not included in the headline for reasons of brevity

Although at least they corrected their error with the number '9' - of course, numbers of ten or less should normally be presented as a word (nine) rather than number (9)

And, correct me if I'm wrong, but the *nine* year figure is wrong anyway - it's *five* years, surely?


Taxi driver fees in an area of Derbyshire set to be increased by a council for the first time in 9 years

https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/ ... rs-4615781

Taxi driver fees in an area of Derbyshire are set to be increased by a council for the first time in nine years.

Erewash Borough Council is looking to hike a wide range of fees applying to taxi and private hire drivers for the first time since 2019.

This plan has been met with three objection letters from Erewash cabbies claiming the increases are unfair in the face of inflation and fuel price hikes.

However, council officers write in a report that inflation has dropped and so have fuel prices, while fees for drivers have not been increased in some time but fees they can charge to customers have been hiked.

A report to be discussed next week details that the fee for a five-year private hire operator licence is due to be increased from £416 to £441; a three-year driver’s licence would increase from £203 to £245; a one-year driver’s licence would increase from £80 to £85; and the Knowledge drivers’ test would increase from £25 to £38 – along with many other fees.

Objectors wrote: “I am objecting to an increase in licensing fees as proposed by the council. My reasons are because of inflation. Interest rates have increased, as well as fuel prices too have increased.”

“Taxi drivers are still sat here waiting to hear on the newer rules on vehicles, tinted windows, age of vehicles etc. I just think it’s a bit of an insult that you’re putting the fees up but we don’t know what we’re going to get back in return.”

“I’m objecting to an increase in taxi fees. My reason is because of the increase in fuel and inflation. The increase would have an impact on our livelihood.”

Council officers write in a report to be discussed next week that the planned increases are based on the authority’s “reasonable administration costs”, along with inflation.

They write that “it is acknowledged that operating costs for taxi drivers and operators will have increased” and that taxi fares were hiked in 2022 to “recognise the impact of inflationary pressures on the taxi trade”.

Officers say that inflation has since peaked at 11.1 per cent in October 2022 and currently stands at 3.2 per cent.

They write that “fuel prices (pump price per litre) have also reduced over the last three years or, in the case of petrol, shown only recent marginal increases”.

A table showing fuel prices per litre shows petrol standing at 161.91 pence per litre in 2022 and 146.91 in 2024, while diesel stood at 176 pence per litre in 2022 and 156 pence in 2024.

Well the increases are reasonably hefty, but since they're the first in five years then they hardly seem like a hill to die on...

And it doesn't seem to logical for drivers to claim that the council shouldn't put fees up because of, er, inflation

But, like the fares things often is, just a blizzard of claims and counter-claims and largely meaningless figures that lack, er, economic rigour.

And I see the article uses Sussex's favourite word 'hike' with regard to the fare increases...

I'd guess the h-word doesn't appear in the acutual council report, though

Very defensive from the council.

They have applied for an increase after no change for 5 years. That's not an unreasonable request.

Yet the council starts having a pop at the trade implying they are having it spark off.

The council just need to say that council officials are allowed a raise, and these increases are to cater for that.

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IDFIMH

Seems expensive to me I would ask for a copy of the accounts for driver licenses.£85 for one year does it really cost another £160 for another 2years?. I was told by a Manchester licensing officer it doesn’t cost anymore to produce a 3 year licence than a 1 year.

That was the original idea when the 3 year license was introduced.However Councils, like ours, who originally did the 3 year license for the same price as the original 1 year license were soon told that they could increase the fee.
I suppose a freedom of information request in to why the cost is different would not get a proper answer. They would just say that they are offering a discount for the one year badge.

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Grandad,
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SKDC is £125 for a 1 year and £310.25 for a 3 year so I'm not sure what the whinge is about Erewash are comparatively cheap

and man city fan I'm not sure what you are comparing these costs to but if you live in an area which is in the bottom 10 councils for fee's then maybe you should be grateful for that !

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Taxis Are Public Transport too

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I was comparing a 1 year licence to a 3 year licence, they should all be the same in my opinion.
It takes 48 mins in staff time to do a renewal and 1 hour for a new application so a new application should be a little dearer, how can it be £125 for a 1 year and £310.25 for a 3 year, can you explain it in a reasonable argument.

when i started in the trade the council had an LO and 1 full time and one part time admin staff. Now they have a head of licensing 2 LO's and a team of half a dozen admin staff that's where the money goes.

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