(Report number
LIC/WS/22/001)
The Committee received Report number
LIC/WS/22/001 which explained that in light
of significant increases in hackney carriage operating
costs, it was considered appropriate to review the current fare
table for both Zones. Therefore, a copy
of the revised fare tables for Zone A and B were attached at
Appendix A to the Report.
Section 65 of the Local Government
(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 made provision for the Council
to fix the rates of fares for time, distance and all other charges in connection with
the hire of a hackney carriage. When
setting the fares, the legislation did not prevent the Council from
considering any external factors and there was no limit on the
amount of increase or variation (subject to reasonableness).
As the Council wanted to encourage the
provision of high-quality hackney carriage vehicles, it was
important that fares were balanced.
Thereby, ensuring proprietors were able to support the running
costs associated with the high standard of vehicles required by the
Council, but at the same time, the fares should not be so high as
to preclude use by passengers.
West Suffolk Council currently offered six
different tariffs across two zones (A and B), which reflected that,
prior to the merging St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath Councils, they
had operated as two separate councils.
It was noted that the fares proposed were the maximum which may be
charged, with drivers having to option to charge less than the
metered fare, should they choose to do so.
Section 4. of the report set out the proposed
amendments to these tariffs, taking into consideration the
increased overall running costs associated with the sector:
a.
Increase the fare up to the first mile (commonly referred to as the
flag drop) by 14%, in respect of all six tariffs for both Zone A
and Zone B.
b.
Increase the charge for subsequent distance travelled by 14% for
all six tariffs for both zones.
c.
To bring forward the time at which tariffs 2 and 5 (night-time
rates) take effect from midnight to 10pm, and subsequently end
tariffs 1 and 4 two hours earlier at 10pm across both zones.
d.
To reword the additional charge from “if the vehicle is
left unfit to work” to “soiling a vehicle to the
extent that it is taken out of work”. This would bring
the phrase in line with commonly accepted terminology.
The increases had been calculated using a
defined methodology that drew a comparison across the average wage
and associated running costs in 2019 (when the fares review was
last undertaken) as well as 2022.
Further information on the sources used was set out in Appendix
B. This explained which sources of data
had been used as part of the Council’s procedure for setting
taxi fares for distance and time and other changes in connection
with the hire of a taxi. This involved
comparing the current annual running costs and salary, against what
was present when a fares review was last undertaken. The ...
view the full minutes text for item 20.