Rother District Council backs consultation on 10% taxi fare rise from October
- Perry Richardson
- Jun 8
- 1 min read
Rother District Council’s Licensing and General Purposes Committee has backed plans to consult on a 10% increase in hackney carriage fares, paving the way for the first taxi tariff rise in the district since April 2023.
At a meeting on 20 May, councillors considered a report outlining the financial pressures facing the local taxi trade. Officers said diesel costs had increased by 19% over the previous three years and, when combined with wider inflationary pressures, justified consulting on a 10% fare increase from October 2026.
The council sets the maximum fares that can be charged by hackney carriages operating from taxi ranks, although drivers remain free to agree lower fares. Any approved increase would require taxi meters to be recalibrated and new fare cards issued, meaning fare reviews are not carried out frequently.
Committee members supported asking Cabinet to approve a formal consultation on the proposed increase. Under the statutory process, if no objections are received during the 14-day consultation period, the revised fares could take effect immediately after that period ends.
Hackney carriage fares in Rother could increase for the first time in more than three years as councillors respond to rising operating costs.
However, if objections are submitted and not withdrawn, the council would be required to consider them before setting a new implementation date. Officers told members that the legal timetable effectively means any fare increase could not come into force before October 2026.
The committee resolved to request Cabinet approval for the consultation and agreed that any objections received should be referred back to the Licensing and General Purposes Committee for consideration before a final decision is made.
