Decision details

The Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods (Neighbourhood Services) presented a report outlining the results of a consultation recently undertaken on Taxi Tariffs.

The Assistant Director reminded the Committee that some members of the taxi trade requested the Sunday tariff be lowered to bring it into line with the tariff in operation during other days of the week. Any change in tariff required the Council to carry out a consultation exercise, which was subsequently undertaken and the results had been attached as an Appendix to the report. It appeared that there was no consensus within the trade regarding the proposed change to the Sunday tariff, in fact there were many who felt that the tariff should be increased on all days throughout the week. A further Appendix had been attached to the report illustrating the tariffs in operation at other local authorities; this indicated that the tariff operated by this Council was neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. The Council could propose new tariffs and consult again with the taxi trade, or leave the current tariffs in situ.

The Committee noted that the taxi trade had differing views on the current levels of the tariffs, and that the current tariffs were in the middle of the range of tariffs implemented by other local Authorities. Therefore, it was probably best to keep the tariffs at the current levels for the time being. The Assistant Director added that the current tariffs were set three years ago and that the Committee could review them at some point in the future. Cllr Sartin suggested that the current tariffs be retained but that they be reviewed in twelve months time as there could be a possible rise in fuel charges during that period; this was agreed by the Committee.

Additionally, the Assistant Director requested that the Committee considered the abolition of the charge for exempting vehicles from displaying the Licence plate. The Council could no longer justify this charge, and generally it was only the more prestigious Private Hire vehicles who did not wish to display a Licence Plate. The Committee agreed that this charge should be abolished.

Resolved:

(1)        That the results of the recent consultation on taxi tariffs throughout the District be noted;

(2)        That the current taxi tariffs be retained and reviewed in twelve months time; and

(3)        That the charge for exempting vehicles from displaying the Licence Plate be abolished.