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Rother taxi fares set for 10% rise as council considers October tariff change
Maximum taxi fares in Rother could rise by 10% from 6 October 2026 under proposals due to be considered by the council’s Cabinet on 14 September.
Rother District Council officers have recommended approving the revised fare table following a statutory consultation. The changes would apply to journey tariffs and waiting time charges for Rother-licensed hackney carriages.
The additional passenger charge would rise from 30p to 40p, while the fee for carrying a dog would increase from 20p to 30p. The start of the night tariff would move from 11pm to midnight.
The council said the later night-rate start was reasonable alongside the wider fare increase. Midnight is already used by Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, Gravesham and Wealden councils, while neighbouring licensing authorities operate a mixture of 11pm, 11.30pm and midnight starting times.
Hackney carriage fares in Rother were last increased in April 2023. The report said the lowest fare of £3.30 would now be equivalent to £3.48 after inflation, according to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator, representing a 5.5% increase.
Fuel and earnings data were also considered. Diesel cost 161p per litre when fares were last changed, compared with 165p on 14 July 2026. The council said prices had fluctuated between 141p and 191p per litre during the year, while private-sector pay increased by 16% between April 2023 and April 2026.
Eight responses were received after the council contacted 103 hackney carriage owners. Officers described the response level as “not significant” and rejected the case for increasing waiting-time charges by more than journey tariffs.
The report said: “There is no reason to increase the waiting time tariff more than the travelling tariff.” It added that moving the night tariff from 11pm to midnight was “reasonable, if fares increase by 10%”.
The fares represent the maximum amounts that can be charged by Rother-licensed hackney carriages. Drivers can accept a lower payment, but taximeters must be calibrated to the tariff approved by the council. The authority noted that meter recalibration and issuing replacement fare cards create costs for the trade, meaning fares should not be altered too frequently.
The changes would not govern private hire vehicle prices or fares charged by hackney carriages licensed outside Rother. Vehicles licensed by another authority remain subject to the tariff set by their respective licensing council.
Of the 154 hackney carriages licensed in Rother at the end of the 2025/26 financial year, 55 were electric or hybrid. Three additional electric or hybrid taxis joined the fleet during the final quarter.
Officers concluded that the proposed increase was reasonable for both passengers and the trade, stating: “Given that maximum hackney carriage fares were last increased in April 2023, increasing maximum fares by 10% and varying the fare card, from 6 October 2026 is reasonable to the trade and public.”
