Taxi working group to explore fixed Heathrow airport fare schemes following member motion
- Perry Richardson
- Jun 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 16
A United Cabbies Group (UCG) working group will be formed to examine the potential introduction of fixed price taxi fares to and from London Heathrow and other airports.
The group’s creation follows a motion passed at the organisation’s recent AGM. The motion requests engagement with counterparts in cities such as Paris and Rome, where fixed pricing models are already in place. The goal is to understand the impact of such schemes, particularly whether they have led to a rise in airport-related taxi work and helped recover trade from private hire operators.
A UCG spokesperson confirmed the plans in a series of social media updates, saying: “A working group is established to explore the introduction of a fixed price fare scheme to & from London Heathrow & other airports.”
They added: “The group should contact taxi orgs in Paris, Rome etc where such schemes have been very successful in gaining work back from PH operators.”
Another post stated that the motion only calls for information gathering at this stage. The intention is to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of fixed fare airport pricing from those already using it, and then report back to the wider membership.
Fixed price airport fares are already established in several European cities. In Paris, the scheme has offered an alternative to app-based services by providing clear, upfront costs for passengers, particularly on routes between airports and central areas.
The concept has been floated before in London as a good idea to win back higher value work. However, some within the trade have been split concerns about its potential impact on meter-based fare structures and whether it could lead to unworkable pricing during peak traffic times.
The UCG working group will now begin discussions with international counterparts and assess whether a similar system could benefit London and other UK cities.
A UCG spokesperson said via social media: “There was a members motion to our AGM the motion asks us to speak to our colleagues in cities that have fixed prices to and from the airport. To understand the pros & cons to hear if it’s increased the number of airport jobs and report back. That’s all the motion asks.”
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