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Cumberland opens taxi fare consultation as £7 two-mile tariff moves closer to introduction
Cumberland Council has formally opened consultation on proposed hackney carriage fares that could increase the cost of taxi journeys in parts of west Cumbria while creating a consistent charging structure across the authority.
The council published its statutory consultation, confirming that written objections must be received by 4pm on Friday 23 October. The proposed fare arrangements are scheduled to take effect on 30 November, subject to the statutory process.
The consultation follows the council’s September decision to progress proposals for a unified taxi tariff across the former Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland licensing areas.
Under the proposals considered in September, the maximum daytime fare for a two-mile journey would be standardised at £7. That represents an increase from £6 in the former Allerdale area and £6.20 in Copeland, while matching the existing equivalent fare in Carlisle.
The changes would mean a £1 increase for a two-mile journey in Allerdale, equivalent to approximately 16.7%, and an 80p increase in Copeland, equivalent to approximately 12.9%.
Cumberland’s latest announcement confirms that the consultation also covers evening and overnight tariffs, bank holidays, Christmas and New Year charges, waiting time, additional passengers, luggage and other supplementary charges.
The proposed changes would replace the separate fare arrangements inherited when Cumberland Council was established in April 2023.
The council’s existing published fare information continues to list different charging structures for Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland. The Allerdale daytime tariff starts at £3.50 for the first mile, while Copeland’s starts at £4. Carlisle uses a different distance-based calculation.
The harmonisation proposal follows requests from the hackney carriage trade for higher fares in response to operating costs. The September council proposals identified fuel expenditure and wider financial pressures as factors affecting the commercial viability of taxi services.
Councillor Bob Kelly, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Regulatory Services, said the authority wanted to balance the costs faced by drivers against the need to keep taxi services affordable for passengers.
The consultation applies specifically to hackney carriages, which can accept passengers at taxi ranks and through street hails. It does not establish maximum prices for journeys booked through private hire operators.
