Dundee Licensing Committee set to decide taxi fare rise and electric fleet extensions
- Perry Richardson
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Dundee City Council’s Licensing Committee is scheduled to consider a series of taxi and private hire decisions at its next meeting today, with a proposed fare increase, electric vehicle deployment delays and driver licence matters all on the table.
The most commercially significant item for the trade is the annual taxi fare review. Council officers are recommending a 4.62 percent increase across all tariffs, calculated using the agreed transport indices formula. If approved and subsequently advertised without successful objection, the new fares would come into force from 1 April 2026. The proposal would raise the daytime Tariff 1 flag drop from £4.20 to £4.40, with proportional increases applied across evening, weekend and festive tariffs.
However, the increase is not uncontested. An objection has been submitted by ETaxis Dundee, which argues against a price rise and instead calls for Dundee’s tariff times to be aligned with those used by neighbouring Angus Council. The committee will be asked to note the objection as part of the statutory process before any final decision is implemented.
Fleet transition issues are also due to feature prominently. Councillors will consider a request from one operator for a further extension of time to place a wheelchair-accessible electric taxi into service. Two extensions have already been granted for the licence, with the operator citing vehicle procurement and financing delays. Supporting evidence, including proof of purchase, has been submitted to the committee, which must now decide whether additional leeway is justified.
Taxi and private hire matters dominate the agenda as councillors prepare to consider fares, licence extensions and enforcement updates
Alongside this, a number of new taxi operator licence applications for full electric vehicles are listed for approval under delegated powers. These applications form part of Dundee’s wider shift towards an electric taxi fleet, a transition that has brought both investment costs and operational challenges for operators seeking to meet local licensing conditions.
Private hire is also represented through new operator applications, while taxi driver licensing issues are scheduled later in the agenda. These include updates on driver records, medical exemption certificates and requests for licence suspensions.
