Bath and North East Somerset taxi fares set to INCREASE 11.7%
Updated: Jul 12, 2022
Proposals to increase the cost of fares for Hackney Carriages by 11.7% in Bath & North East Somerset are being consulted on.
People are being asked for their views on a proposed 11.7% rise to the maximum taxi tariff charged by licensed Hackney Carriage vehicles in the area of the licensing authority of Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The proposed rise is based on a long-standing formula used by the council to arrive at a fare increase when requested to do so.
The calculation is looking at the annual impact of inflation on motoring costs and wages (April to April). Specifically, it takes the annual percentage increase of Motoring Expenditure Retail Price Index and also Average Weekly Earnings Retail Price Index, then weighted 50/50, calculates the applied inflationary rate.
A consultation on the proposal is running for eight weeks to give people who may be affected by an increase in the maximum table of fares allowed to be charged for hackney carriages in the licensing authority’s area the opportunity to register their views.
The council recognises many residents rely on taxis for an essential form of transport, particularly in areas where the provision of private hire service may be reduced.
Currently the taxi fare for a one-mile journey in Bath & North East Somerset is £4.80 rising to £7.20 for a two mile journey. Fares were last increased in 2020.
The proposed fare increase only applies to licensed Hackney Carriages in Bath & North East Somerset. These are the taxis that stand for hire at public Hackney Carriage ranks.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Planning and Licensing, said: “It is vitally important we get people’s views because we have to balance the needs of the taxi trade to make a good standard of living in the face of rising costs with the need for an affordable immediate hire taxi service for people who may be dependent on taxis as their only method of door-to-door transport.
“Immediate public hire taxis should be available and affordable and it is vital for an inclusive transport service that the needs of disabled passengers are understood, and immediate hire accessible taxis are not only available but affordable. This is the reasoning behind the council being legally responsible for regulating the maximum allowed table of fares.”