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North Tyneside taxi fares could rise by 8% amid higher driver costs
- Perry Richardson
- 23 hours ago
- 1 min read
Taxi fares in North Tyneside could increase by 8% under proposals submitted by the North Tyneside Hackney Carriage Association (NTHCA).
The requested increase would produce an average rate of £5.52 per mile for a three-mile journey. The changes would apply only to hackney carriages that can be hailed in the street or hired from taxi ranks, rather than pre-booked private hire vehicles.
The NTHCA cited higher fuel prices, wider cost-of-living pressures and rising vehicle-part costs as the main reasons for seeking the increase. Other proposed changes include raising one £125 additional charge to £130, although the precise circumstances covered by that charge require clarification. Charges for dogs and other animals would rise from £3 to £4, with service dogs exempt.
Councillors raised concerns about the effect on passengers, particularly elderly residents. Labour councillor John O’Shea said the trade had faced “significant uplifts in fuel and insurance and things like that”, but added that local residents were also struggling with living costs.
“I just don’t think we have got the right balance,” O’Shea said. “My suggestion to the director of public health is to look at a balanced arrangement, not the 8% that has been suggested.”
If approved by the director of public health, the proposed fare table will be advertised publicly for at least 14 days, allowing residents and other interested parties to submit objections before any changes take effect.
