Agenda item

The Committee considered a report setting out proposals to update the Taxi Fare Chart for the hire of hackney carriages in Surrey Heath.

The Committee was informed that officers had received a number of verbal and written requests for the hackney carriage tariffs, which had last been updated in 2012, to be reviewed.  In July 2021 the Licensing Committee had been advised that it was proposed that hackney carriage fares should be increased by the annual Consumer Price Index for each year that had elapsed between 2012 and 2021.  Subsequent consultation with the trade on the proposed increases had elicited 4 written and 2 verbal responses, in addition a number of hackney carriage drivers had provided feedback on the proposed increases during discussions with the trade over the development of a new Taxi Licensing Policy.  Feedback on the proposed increases had on the whole been positive.

The Committee was informed that the Tariff Table in Annex E to the report had been corrected and the fares under Tariff 4 Festive Period should have been:

·         First 330 yards - £7.20

·         5 x 0.40p - £2.00

On occasion it had been necessary to round fare changes to enable the meters to be updated appropriately where this had occurred fares had been rounded down. 

It was a statutory requirement that the changes were advertised in local newspapers and that any objections should be made within 14 days of the date of publication. The outcomes of the public consultation would be shared with the Committee at their meeting in February 2022.  The changes would also be published on the Council’s website and it was agreed that the changes would also be advertised through the Council’s social media channels.

It was acknowledged that the changes could impact on the trade in favour of Uber.  However, it was stressed that the fares were the maximum that could be charged and drivers would have some discretion over the fares that they charged customers.  It was not known precisely how many Uber drivers operated in the Borough however this would be discussed with Uber at an upcoming meeting with the organisation and the outcomes circulated.

RESOLVED that:

      i.        The contents of the report be noted.

     ii.        The proposed new taxi fares, as set out in the revised Annex E to the report, be advertised in the local media and through the Council’s social media channels.

    iii.        The steps that will be taken once the fares are advertised be noted.

   iv.        The taxi fares are reviewed by the Licensing Committee regularly, depending on the prevailing economic climate.