ON THE RISE: Angus taxi fares to rise 14% following council approval
- Perry Richardson
- Aug 27
- 1 min read
Taxi fares across Angus are set to rise from 31 October after councillors approved a fare increase of up to 14% across several tariff bands.
Under the revised structure, the daytime fare for the first mile will increase by 60p to £5. Longer journeys will also see rises of between 6% and 12%. Evening fares are also going up, with the first mile moving from £5.50 to £6.10 and other tariffs rising between 6% and 11%.
The changes were agreed at a meeting of the council’s civic licensing committee. Seven councillors backed the fare rise, with three voting against.
Neil Gibson, director of Lorimer Cabs in Montrose, addressed the committee in support of the proposals. He said the increase was needed for operators to stay viable: “If we can’t actually charge pro rata against what our product costs us to produce when we sell it, then we are out of business.”
The council’s convener of the committee, Ross Greig, confirmed that while the rates will increase, operators are free to charge less if they choose.
However, not all councillors supported the move. Independent councillor Lois Speed, backed by council leader George Meechan, proposed an amendment to keep the current rates in place. She cited concerns from residents, particularly those in vulnerable groups who rely heavily on door-to-door transport. “It’s very clear that a lot of the consumer base are the more vulnerable within our society,” she said.
The proposed amendment was rejected, with the majority of the committee voting to implement the new tariffs.
The fare rise will take effect from 31 October.
