Have your say on new taxi fares for Fenland

Taxi fares in Fenland look set to rise for the first time in more than two years – despite some reservations from drivers.

Fenland District Council’s licensing committee discussed the issue of an increase in the cost of using the area’s hackney carriages following a request from the ‘taxi trade’.

A report to last month’s committee explained the council, which is responsible for setting the maximum fares that can be charged by hackney carriage (taxis) vehicles licensed to operate within the district.

Taxi fares are made up of an initial hiring charge and a mileage rate, both of which are expressed in terms of distance and/or time per unit cost.

This is because when a hired taxi is stationary or moving slowly in traffic the meter continues charging, but by time, instead of distance.

The table of fares applies only to Hackney Carriage vehicles. Private hire operators can set their hiring charges in advance with their customers at the time of booking the journey.

The last time the fares rose was in May 2022, but the report said officers had received a request from a representative of the Fenland Taxi Trade for the council to consider increasing fares.

Consultation was carried out on two options with the taxi firms, and the report said the committee could choose to endorse either one or none.

The choices were labeled Option A, the trade’s suggestion, and Option B, which was from officers and was eventually endorsed by councillors.

Option A, which attracted 13 responses during the consultation.

For tariff one, which runs from 7am to 11pm weekdays, the suggestion was to cut the distance covered by the minimum fare of £4 from 1,609 metres (one mile) to 1,289 metres. It would also see 20p charged for every subsequent 139.43 metres after that compared to the current 146.2 metres.

The same distances would apply for the next tariff, which operates from 11pm to 7am and is £6, with 30p for every subsequent 139.43 metres.

Tariff three which operates from 6pm on public bank holidays, including Christmas and New Year, and is £8 for the minimum fare, would also see the same cut in the distance before the 40p charge for each subsequent 139.46 metres came into force.

Extra charges for waiting would also kick in sooner and there would be a 50p rise in the extra charge per person for carrying more than four people aged over 16. Two children aged under 16 would count as one person and under three years would not be counted. This could see the maximum extra charge rise from £2 to £4.

Comments on this proposal were broadly positive.

One person commented: “I’ve had a look at the proposed taxi tariff increase and I am definitely in favour of this.”

Another said: “I am for the price increase for the tariffs. As this year my car insurance has gone up by £800. And fuel is increasing daily. For us to maintain and survive in this trade. And the living cost rising.”

Another taxi driver suggested there should be a standard extra charge for providing the option for customers to pay by card.

They said: “I think the focus should be concentrated more on those who carry card machines for the convenience of the customer who loses a percentage per transaction. I am aware card readers are not compulsory but not having them cost the drivers a fare.”

The officers’ suggestion kept the distance of the minimum fare at 1,609 metres (one mile) but wanted to see the price rise from £4 to £4.20, and 30p for each subsequent 146.2 metres. There would be a similar 20p rise in the cost of tariffs two and three, with the subsequent charge for each tariff also going up 10p.

Officers also wanted to see the extra charge for more passengers in excess of four go up by £1.50 per person to a maximum of £6.

However, there was a more mixed opinion on this with some strongly opposed.

One taxi driver said: “The price increase is unwanted and unnecessary. The taxi trade in March is dwindling very quickly over the last few years. With Covid then the credit crunch and now the travesty that is happening to the town centre a price increase that is way above the inflation rate at this time is stupid and unwarranted.”

Another added: “I am against this increase, the people of March don’t use taxis now as they are too expensive and there is an explosion of unlicensed vehicles working through Facebook that are benefitting from our high prices already. This is a stupid price hike that isn’t needed at all at this time.”

The public now has an opportunity to have its say on the proposed rises with consultation underway until August 11 – comments should be emailed to licensing@fenland.gov.uk