Taxi fares to rise in Stevenage
The rising cost of living's being blamed
Last updated 28th Mar 2022
Taxi fares in Stevenage will rise after drivers said their business was being hit by the rising cost of living and increased fuel prices.
Stevenage Borough Council agreed to the changes for hackney carriages in the area, which will see fares cost 60p more for a two-mile journey.
Drivers said their fares would still be below competitors, including Uber, but would reflect the increasing cost of the providing the service.
Drivers from ABC Taxis first proposed a rise in a meeting of the borough council’s taxi drivers’ forum in December, saying costs had continued to rise, and which are paid for by the drivers themselves rather than a business.
Paul Barrett, of ABC Taxis, told councillors that fares hadn’t changed since 2017, and didn’t reflect the rising cost of fuel, the increasing usage of card payments, where a percentage of they payment is lost in fees, or the cost of replacing older vehicles.
Drivers have also had to pay for hand sanitiser, cleaning equipment and masks during the covid pandemic.
The approved changes will predominantly affect the 100 hackney carriages within the borough, but will also affect private hire vehicles that are not been pre-booked.
Private hire drivers are able to agree their own prices for pre-booked journeys but can use the council’s standard tariff if they choose to, and are required to use the meter when they are hailed without a booking.
Four people, who are all registered as private hire drivers, submitted objections to the plans, but no objectors attended the council meeting on March 24.
The new charges will mean a two-mile journey will cost £7, which is the 35th highest tariff rate in the country, out of 365 local authorities, but is in line with nearby Hertsmere and Welwyn Hatfield.
For a ‘tariff one’ journey – between 6am and 11pm most days – the first charge will begin at 0.3 mile, rather than 0.5 miles and for each subsequent 0.1 mile travelled 20p will be added for the length of a journey.
For tariff two journeys – between 11am and 6am and during most bank holidays – fares will start at £5.40p and then rise by 30p for each 0.1 mile, which is also a 9 per cent rise.
Tariff three is for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and from 11pm-6am over New Years, which will begin at £7.20p with an additional 40p per 0.1 mile.
Councillors were initially resistant to the idea of the increase, raising concerns about the rising cost of living for customers but ultimately unanimously agreed to the request.
Leader of the council Councillor Sharon Taylor said: “There’s a balance to be struck between the cost to our residents. Although the percentage increase sounds significant in cash terms, it’s not a huge sum of money. One of the things we really must do as we go forward from Covid is to support our small businesses in the town to keep going.”
Councillors also agreed that the General Purposes Committee will look at taxi fares on a regular basis, to avoid drivers falling behind the cost of living.
No date was set for the new changes to come into effect, but officers said metres would be updated within the next two months.