Agenda item

Report of the Licensing Manager.

The Licensing Manager presented a report on the Hackney Carriage Fare Review 2022.

It was reported that at the meeting of the Licensing Committee on 6^th January 2022, members had recommended to Cabinet an uplift to flag fall across 3 tariffs, by a suggested amount of 50p and a 10p uplift to waiting charges. The recommendation was considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 8^th February 2022.

Cabinet had asked officers to carry out an immediate informal consultation exercise with hackney carriage drivers and to gather feedback on options for increasing fares, taking into account the need to increase the rate earned per mile, and the policy position on Retail Price Index (RPI). The Licensing Committee had been asked to report their findings back to Cabinet at their meeting on April 12^th 2022.

The proposed tariff options and summary of fares was appended to the report for the Committee’s consideration.

The Committee was advised the consultation survey had been available online from 15^th February 2022 to 8^th March 2022 and that there had been a total of 149 responses received with 92 responses received to the follow up survey.

96.6% of the 149 respondents had wanted an increase to the current tariff with 90.6% wanting any increase to apply to both flag-fall and the rolling rate.

The Committee discussed a number of issues including the application of the RPI and balancing increasing rates with not putting off customers. Members also agreed to consult with the local trade through the Taxi Working Group prior to the next annual review of fares.

It was moved by Councillor Andrew Gardiner and seconded by Councillor Roger Dennison:

“That the following recommendation be referred to Cabinet;

(1)        That Option 2 be adopted as the Hackney Carriage Fare Tariff 2022/23.

(2)            That Hackney Carriage fare reviews will be undertaken annually, by applying retail price index (RPI) across the tariff, to both flag-fall and rolling rate.

(3)            That Any calculation resulting in pence will be round down to the nearest 5p.

(4)            That Consultation with the local licensed trade be carried out via the Taxi Working Group prior to the annual review, and;

(5)            That approval be given to the Licensing Manager to advertise the adjusted table of fares as required by Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.”

A vote was taken and unanimously carried.

Resolved;

That the following recommendation be referred to Cabinet;

(1)            That Option 2 be adopted as the Hackney Carriage Fare Tariff 2022/23.

(2)            That Hackney Carriage fare reviews will be undertaken annually, by applying retail price index (RPI) across the tariff, to both flag-fall and rolling rate.

(3)            That Any calculation resulting in pence will be round down to the nearest 5p.

(4)            That Consultation with the local licensed trade be carried out via the Taxi Working Group prior to the annual review, and;

(5)            That approval be given to the Licensing Manager to advertise the adjusted table of fares as required by Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.