Cumberland Council’s Executive is due to consider a proposed common maximum £7 fare for a two-mile hackney-carriage journey across Cumberland on Wednesday 16 September 2026.
The proposal would replace separate taxi fare arrangements inherited from the former Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland licensing areas. It has been requested by the hackney-carriage trade in response to operating-cost pressures, including fuel costs.
On the comparisons reported with the proposal, the common two-mile fare would increase by £1 in Allerdale and by 80p in Copeland, while the equivalent Carlisle comparison would be unchanged.
No new £7 fare has yet been approved or commenced. Members are being asked to approve the proposed tariff for statutory advertisement, rather than to bring it into force immediately.
If objections are submitted during the statutory process and are not withdrawn, the proposal would return to the Executive for a final decision. The 16 September meeting is therefore a consideration of the proposed next step, not a final implementation decision.
Taxi and private-hire operators looking for an affordable booking and dispatch platform can find out more at DM Taxi Assistant.
Cumberland Council was formed on 1 April 2023 from the former district authority areas, leaving differing inherited taxi fare structures. The council’s current passenger information page continues to link separately to fare tables for Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland.
The published Allerdale fare card lists a daytime first-mile charge of £3.50, followed by 50p for each subsequent fifth of a mile. The published Copeland card lists a daytime first-mile charge of £4, followed by 22p for each subsequent tenth of a mile. These existing arrangements illustrate why the proposal is a harmonisation measure across the council area.
The proposal concerns hackney carriages. These vehicles can use ranks and accept street hails. Private-hire fares are not set through the hackney-carriage tariff card, so the proposed £7 maximum should not be presented as a new fare for private-hire journeys.
Until the statutory process and any final decision are complete, the inherited fare arrangements remain the relevant published reference points. The Executive’s scheduled consideration concerns whether the proposed tariff should proceed to advertisement, not whether the new maximum has already taken effect.
Thanks for visiting DM News! If you’ve got a question, a story tip, or anything you’d like to share, head over to DriverMatty.com — I love to hear from you. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out my other websites and social media channels.
