DEVASTATING RISE: Heathrow Airport taxi rank fees set to rise from £3.60 to £10 in July

Taxi drivers ranking up at London’s Heathrow Airport are set to face rank entrance fees nearly THREE TIMES more than current prices, as plans to claw back COVID losses are given the green light.

Fully wheelchair accessible licensed black cabs offering their services at one of the world’s biggest airports will have to pay over £10 to join the ‘Feeder Park’ rank at Heathrow from 1 July. According to sources, it is unlikely the increase will be passed onto passengers, meaning struggling cabbies will have to cover the extra costs.

The plans mean taxi drivers could be forced to pay £10.00, a huge £6.40 rise from the current £3.60 paid by drivers.

The rationale behind the mammoth increase points squarely at the huge drop in passenger numbers passing through Heathrow Airport during the pandemic. It is understood that the airport wishes to recover the £1.4million lost over the pandemic over a two year period.

The news will come as a shock to taxi drivers looking to re-build their industry after the devastating financial impact of the pandemic. Work-levels remain unsustainably low due to COVID travel restrictions and other government restrictions introduced since March 2020.

According to the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA) sources, taxi industry representatives have suggested the costs should be spread out over a longer 5-year time period to cover the losses.