Taxi fares in Scarborough could rise for first time in four years
Changes to charges will be discussed next week
Taxi fares in Scarborough could increase for the first time in four years.
The council has agreed to discuss the Scarborough and District Taxi Association’s request for fare increases on private hire vehicles in the borough.
Members of Scarborough Council’s Licensing Committee will be asked to decide on the proposals at a special meeting on Thursday September 1.
The Taxi Association is proposing a 17 per cent fare increase for a two-mile journey between 6am and 9pm, raising the cost of such a journey to £7.72 from £6.60.
The plans would also see a 22 per cent increase for journeys between 9 pm and midnight, raising the cost of a two-mile journey to £8.32 from £6.80.
The biggest increase would be for fares between midnight and 6 am, which would be increased by 33 per cent to £9.35 from the current £7.20 for a two-mile journey.
According to a report that will be presented to members of the committee, council officers have examined the plans “and consider them, on the whole, to be reasonable”.
If approved by the committee, the plans would come into effect in October, although there will be a two-week consultation period following the decision during which members of the public can make their thoughts known.
According to the report, Scarborough is facing a shortage of taxi drivers, adding that “a balance has to be struck between making fares affordable to members of the public” and also ensuring “the financial viability of taxi operators and drivers”.
Taxi fares were last increased in 2018 when they rose between 10 per cent and 22 per cent.
However, council director Paul Thompson writes in his report that since 2018, costs have significantly increased for taxi operators: “During that time global energy prices have risen sharply, and in the 12 months up to July 2022 petrol and oil prices in the UK have increased by 46.8 per cent.”
Some aspects of the Taxi Association’s request, such as a booking fee increase, were removed with a new alternative mileage calculation included “to be fairer to those members of the public who may need to book from a distance away from the town centres.”
Additionally, “charges for carrying items necessary to support disabled travellers have been removed as such charges are now illegal”.
If approved, the new fares will be in effect until at least April 2023 when the new North Yorkshire Council replaces borough and county councils and will become responsible for setting fares for the whole of the county.
In June, an increase in taxi fares in East Riding was also approved for the first time in eight years.