Hackney carriage soiling charges set for £30 increase review as Bracknell Forest taxi trade seeks tariff changes
- Perry Richardson
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Bracknell Forest Council is preparing to consult on proposed changes to its hackney carriage fare chart after representatives of the local taxi trade formally requested a review of tariffs for 2026, focusing on higher fouling charges and clearer pricing for multi-passenger journeys.
A report due before the Licensing and Safety Committee on 11 February confirms that the trade is not seeking an increase to standard metered fares, which have remained unchanged since June 2022, but is asking for amendments to reflect rising operating costs and reduce passenger confusion.
The most substantive change relates to vehicle fouling charges. The trade is proposing that the maximum charge for internal fouling be increased from £50 to £80, and for external fouling from £10 to £25. The report states that the justification put forward is the increase in valeting and car wash costs over recent years, which drivers say are no longer covered by the current tariff.
Alongside this, the trade has requested a presentational overhaul of fares for vehicles carrying five or more passengers. Rather than applying a 50 per cent surcharge at the end of a journey, which is not shown on the taximeter, the revised chart would introduce clearly defined tariffs labelled 1b, 2b and 3b. These mirror existing tariffs but build the uplift directly into the meter, which officers say is intended to make charges easier to explain and more transparent for passengers.
Council cabinet to consider statutory consultation on revised fare chart, with no increase to core metered fares
Under the proposals, tariffs 1, 2 and 3 would otherwise remain unchanged. These currently range from a £3.20 starting fare during daytime hours to £6.40 on Christmas Day, with distance and waiting time charges varying by time of travel. The council notes that Bracknell Forest is currently ranked joint 100th out of 341 local authorities for the cost of a two-mile taxi fare, according to industry league tables cited in the report.
If cabinet agrees to proceed, a statutory consultation would run for 14 days from 18 March to 1 April 2026. A public notice would be placed in the Bracknell News, with consultation details also published on the Public Protection Partnership website and displayed at the council’s Time Square offices. Licensed hackney carriage proprietors would be contacted directly for comment.
Any objections received and not withdrawn would be considered by cabinet on 28 April 2026 alongside the trade’s business case. In that scenario, a revised implementation date of 1 May 2026 is proposed. If no objections are received, or if they are withdrawn, the amended fare table could come into force from 2 April 2026.
