Issue - meetings

Report No: LIC/WS/24/002

Report No: LIC/WS/24/001

The Committee was reminded that the District’s taxi tariffs were last reviewed at their meeting on 11 July 2023, where it was agreed that as fuel costs had decreased significantly that fares would not increase unless the fuel duty increased in the forthcoming budget.

Since that meeting a request for a formal taxi fare review was submitted to the Licensing Authority in November 2023, as attached as Appendix B to Report No LIC/WS/24.001.

Officers had reviewed the request received and developed a table of initially recommended fare increases. Part of the feedback received from the public was that the fare card was difficult to understand due to the number of varied tariffs included, accordingly, the proposed fare card attached as Appendix A to the report had removed tariffs 4, 5 and 6 which related to vehicles that carried 5 or more passengers.

Since publication of the agenda, Licensing Officers had received a number of objections from the Trade in respect of the proposed removal of the three tariffs. Henceforth, an amended version of Appendix A had been produced which reinstated the three tariffs and this was tabled to the meeting.

Councillor Charlie Lynch stated that he had spoken with some taxi drivers in Newmarket who, similarly to the majority of the drivers who had earlier addressed the Committee, supported the increases within the proposed fare card subject to the reinstation of the three removed tariffs.

There was some debate amongst the Committee as to whether the tariffs for the larger vehicles could be better managed on the fare card, in order to minimise public confusion.

Other Members remarked on the fact that the fare card had to be displayed in all vehicles and there was nothing to stop drivers advising their passengers at the start of the journey which tariff was being operated.

The Chair highlighted that any change to the fares agreed by the Committee would then have to undergo a public consultation period.

It was proposed by Councillor Roger Dicker, seconded by Councillor Pat Hanlon and with 9 voting for the motion and with 1 abstention it was

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.   The revised table of fares for West Suffolk, as tabled to the meeting, be approved;

2.   Taxi fares be annually reviewed by the Licensing & Regulatory Committee at the meeting scheduled closest to 1 March;

3.   The proposed methodology for how an annual fare review will be undertaken, as set out in Report No LIC/WS/24/001, be approved; and

4.   A temporary surcharge of £1 per journey be approved in the event that petrol and/or diesel prices increase to £2 per litre.