Taxi drivers in North Tyneside are asking the council to approve an 8% increase in hackney carriage fares, citing rising fuel prices, vehicle costs and wider cost-of-living pressures.
The North Tyneside Hackney Carriage Association has asked North Tyneside Council to approve the increase as drivers look to recover rising costs associated with operating their vehicles.
According to Local Democracy Reporting Service figures, the proposed tariff would result in an average cost per mile of £5.52 based on a three-mile journey.
The proposed increase applies specifically to hackney carriages, which can be hailed in the street or picked up from a taxi rank. It does not directly set the fares charged by private hire vehicles, which must be pre-booked.
However, the proposed 8% increase has not yet been approved.
Labour councillor John O’Shea said he wanted to consider a more balanced arrangement, pointing out that residents using taxis are also facing cost-of-living pressures.
North Tyneside Council’s licensing policy allows the authority to set maximum hackney carriage fares. Changes to the fare tariff must go through the required process before they can come into force.
The debate highlights the difficult balance facing the taxi trade. Drivers need fares that reflect fuel, maintenance, insurance and vehicle replacement costs, while councils must also consider affordability for passengers who rely on taxis.
For taxi and private hire businesses looking to reduce other operating costs, DM Taxi Assistant provides affordable taxi booking and dispatch software designed for private hire and taxi operators.
For now, North Tyneside passengers should continue to pay the existing hackney carriage tariff unless and until a new fare table is formally approved.
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