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TARIFF RETAINED: Denbighshire taxi fares set to remain frozen throughout 2027
Hackney carriage fares in Denbighshire are set to remain unchanged throughout 2027 after most taxi trade respondents backed retaining the existing tariff structure.
Denbighshire County Council’s Licensing Committee will consider the recommendation when it meets on 15 September. Officers have proposed carrying out another annual review during 2027, with any resulting changes potentially introduced in 2028.
The current fares took effect on 8 October 2025 following an earlier statutory consultation and approval process. The changes increased Tariff 1 from £2.50 per mile to £3 and Tariff 3 from £3.75 per mile to £4.50, equivalent to increases of 20%.
Following implementation, the council published surveys for the licensed hackney carriage and private hire trade, as well as members of the public.
According to the committee report, response levels from both groups were “extremely low”, limiting the evidence available to support future policy decisions.
A workshop involving councillors, licensing officers and trade representatives was subsequently held on 18 May 2026. Discussions covered vehicle operating costs, passenger affordability, future methods for reviewing fares and wider pressures facing the licensed trade.
The council then consulted licence holders on whether the existing fares should be retained or increased in line with Consumer Prices Index inflation. The main section of the report records 12 responses, with seven supporting no change, one backing an inflation-linked rise and four suggesting alternative approaches.
Those alternatives included introducing annual increases slightly above inflation, using the Guildford Fare Model to calculate fares from operating costs, changing the meter measurement from one-tenth to six-tenths of a mile and adopting a booking fee.
However, the committee paper contains a discrepancy in the reported response total. A later section says the consultation produced 11 responses, rather than the 12 detailed earlier. Both sections state that the majority supported retaining the current structure.
Officers concluded that there was “insufficient support from the trade for a fare increase during 2027”. The recommendation attempts to balance rising costs for drivers against concerns that another increase could affect passenger affordability during continued cost-of-living pressures.
