Angus taxi fares could rise by up to 11% following committee vote
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 1 min read
Taxi fares in Angus are set to rise, with increases of up to 11% on the table following a vote by the Civic Licensing Committee on Thursday 15 May.
The decision was taken amid growing concerns from local taxi operators who say rising operational costs and the national minimum wage have put pressure on the trade. A formal consultation will now go ahead to seek public feedback.
If implemented, the daytime tariff for the first mile could rise from £4.40 to £4.90. Longer daytime journeys are likely to increase by between 8 and 10%. Evening tariffs could see similar rises, with the first mile going from £5.50 to £6.
Neil Gibson, from Lorimer Cabs in Montrose, told the committee the rise was essential. “The bottom line is that without revenue and without profit, there’s no taxi companies,” he said. “The decline in the service in Angus has been absolutely massive.”
Not all in the trade are convinced. Some operators fear that raising fares could damage business. Mr Gibson said the bigger issue was availability. “In the last ten years I’ve never had a customer complain about the price of taxis. The only complaint I’ve had is that they can’t get them.”
Wendy Foreman, a Forfar-based operator, said it was increasingly hard to attract drivers, particularly for late weekend shifts.
Four written responses to the committee had called for no fare rise. However, these were not enough to sway the vote. The committee approved the proposals 6-2.
