Taxi fare rise proposed in Stafford Borough
Taxi fares are set to rise in Stafford Borough after a request to increase starting charges was made by the trade.
Currently the starting rate is £3.10 – but this would rise to £4 if proposed charges are approved by Stafford Borough Council.
Cabinet members agreed on Monday (July 7) for a consultation to be carried out on the new fare plans. The revised charges would come into force “as soon as possible, subject to any objections arising”, a cabinet report said.
The 90p starting rate increase would apply for journeys in a vehicle carrying up to four people, made under the “normal charge” scheme. Higher starting charges would apply for vehicles carrying five or more people, or for journeys started between 12am and 7am on any day, at any time on a bank holiday or after 6pm on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.
The council’s deputy leader Rob Kenney said at Monday’s meeting: “There is a clear distinction between Hackney Carriages [taxis] and private hire vehicles [minicabs]. Taxis are permitted to wait at taxi ranks or be hailed in the street, while minicabs are not permitted to wait at ranks or to take passengers unless a journey has been pre-booked.
“Minicabs can charge whatever fare they choose. But Hackney Carriages must not charge any fare higher than those set by the council.
“The council last set fares in 2022. Since then there has been a significant and sustained increase in the price of fuel, cost of vehicles and operational costs, such as insurance and maintenance.
“The trade has approached the council to propose a fare increase. They request an increase in ‘flag’ – or starting rate – from £3.10 to £4.
“Officers have carried out a fare comparison exercise with neighbouring authorities. A two-mile journey [under the normal charge] would be £7.40, which would set this authority 144th out of 341 authorities.”
The current £6.50 maximum cost for a two-mile taxi journey makes Stafford Borough the fourth cheapest area in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton, a cabinet report revealed. But the proposed increase to £7.40 would make it the most expensive out of the 10 areas.
The cheapest two-mile taxi journey is in the Staffordshire Moorlands, where a two-mile fare is £5.20 and the last fare increase was in 2015. The most expensive area for a two-mile taxi journey is currently Tamworth, with a £7.14 fare set in 2022.
The report added: “Historically, the council has not taken a proactive approach in proposing any increase in the tariff, relying on the trade to come forward when the trade considers increased costs justify a tariff increase.
“The local Hackney Carriage trade faces increasing competition from both locally-licensed private hire vehicles and, increasingly, from vehicles operated using Uber and other online platforms. To retain a strong local taxi trade, where all vehicles [with some exceptions] are required to be wheelchair accessible, and a specific colour [white at present] the council must work with proprietors in assisting them to remain competitive but also to recover costs and make profit.
“The number of Hackney Carriages currently licensed by the borough council is 57, decreasing by five since 2022, equating to a reduction of 8.06 per cent. [This is] compared with 95 private hire vehicles currently licensed by the council, the numbers of which have also decreased over the same period, from 101, a reduction of 5.94 per cent.”
