Stirling Council consulting on an 11.7% taxi fare increase

Taxi fares in Stirling could rise by 11.7% after councillors agreed to consult taxi drivers, operators and passengers on proposed changes to the local fare structure.

Under the proposals, the Tariff 1 starting fare would increase from £3.50 to £3.90, Tariff 2 from £4.10 to £4.60 and Tariff 3 from £5.60 to £6.20. Distance increments would also change, while waiting-time charges would remain unchanged.

Two additional festive tariffs are proposed. Tariff 4 would operate between 6pm on Christmas Eve and 6am on Boxing Day, and from 6pm on New Year’s Eve until 6am on 2 January. The starting fare would be £6.20, followed by 10p increments for every 46.8 yards.

Tariff 5 would cover the same festive periods for taxis carrying five or more passengers. The proposed starting fare would be £10, with a further 10p charged for every 29.2 yards.

The fare review was commissioned from independent traffic consultants Licensed Vehicles Survey and Assessment and considered vehicle prices, servicing, fuel, insurance, vehicle excise duty, licensing costs and average national earnings. The council said its last substantial fare change was approved in 2023, when distance-based charges increased by around 13.9% and a separate tariff for groups of five or more passengers was introduced.

The consultation runs until 7 October 2026. Responses and proposed next steps will then be reported to Stirling Council’s Planning and Regulation Panel.