East Devon taxi drivers handed a 10% fare increase to cover escalating costs

The East Devon District Council's Licensing and Enforcement Committee has updated the fare structure for hackney carriages, introducing an approximate 10% increase across all tariffs and additional charges.

This adjustment, confirmed during their meeting on 8 May, is a response to the escalating costs that are impacting the taxi industry.

Drivers are facing a squeeze due to rising expenses in vehicle maintenance, increased insurance premiums, higher road tax, and the surging prices of second-hand vehicles.

These factors collectively necessitate a revision in the fare structure to ensure that drivers can sustain their livelihoods without overwhelming consumers with steep price hikes.

Councillor Joe Whibley, Chair of EDDC’s Licensing Committee, said: "The committee has to balance making taxi journeys affordable for the public with the simple truth that the cost of operating a taxi is not protected from the huge rises in the cost of living we have all experienced in recent times.

“By permitting firms to raise their maximum fare, but limiting that rise to 10%, we think that balance has been struck."