Taxi fares are set to increase in Ceredigion as drivers battle against rising fuel costs.

The Tivy-side Advertiser reports that Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet approved a proposal to increase taxi fares at a rate set by the taxi trade - a slightly lower rate increase was suggested by licensing officers – bringing the cost of a two-mile journey to £6.80 from £5.46.

Similar journeys in Carmarthenshire cost £6.80, in Pembrokeshire £6.30 and in Powys £6, although increases are pending, a cabinet report notes.

The taxi fares have not increased since 2018 when the average cost of unleaded petrol in the UK was £1.20 a litre and diesel £1.23, a report to cabinet states. 

Proposals to increase taxi fares were made in February following a taxi trade meeting with increases to fares, tariffs and charges outlined and then consulted on within the trade.

“It is evident that several factors have affected the taxi trade in recent years, which has resulted in the request to vary the current fares including the Coronavirus pandemic, increases in the prices of secondhand cars, increases in the cost of living, an increase in the minimum wage, increases in insurance costs but the increase in fuel prices is the largest reason for a request to vary the fares,” adds the cabinet report.

An extra 5p per 1/10th of a mile on all tariffs will be imposed, and cabinet heard that the officer proposals had a lightly lower increase and lower associated charges for things such as waiting time, carrying cases, trunks and fouling “not linked to fuel increases.”

Cabinet approved the increases, subject to a statutory 14-day publication and consultation period where any objections can be raised.

Source: https://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/20257007.proposal-increase-taxi-fares-approved-ceredigion/

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A mother and her four-year-old child were left for dead after being mown down by a "taxi" in Batley, West Yorkshire.

According to The Sun, the terrifying incident came as the pair walked hand in hand along the pavement on the afternoon of Monday 4 July.

A red "cab" driver appears to mount the kerb and knock the pedestrians back before speeding off, leaving them lying in shock and pain on the ground.

Both the mum and her tot suffered broken bones from the collision but are stable in hospital, according to relatives. 

Yet their furious family have taken to social media to hunt down the guilty motorist, by sharing CCTV of the horror.

In the footage which the family posted, a red car with a taxi logo can be seen driving fully on the pavement as the pair take a lunchtime stroll.

The driver appears to make no attempt to change direction as he ploughs into both pedestrians, crushing them against a stone wall separating the street, Track Road, from the green open space beyond.

The driver then veers over to the other side of the road, clips the opposite kerb, and speeds away from the scene.

A cloud of dust is left hanging in the street as if the car, resembling a VW Passat, has scraped the stone wall.

Police say the woman was seriously injured in the accident at 12.46pm on Monday.

A huge police cordon was placed around the area which was sealed off for a painstaking forensic examination.

Photos show a photographer documenting the scene of the crime.

West Yorkshire Police said: “Police were called to a reported road traffic collision on Track Road, Batley, at 12:46pm yesterday involving two pedestrians.

“The pedestrians, a woman and child were taken to hospital where the woman's injuries were confirmed as serious but not life threatening.

“The child did not have serious injuries. Enquiries are on-going to establish the circumstances.

“Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or the circumstances leading up to it is asked to call West Yorkshire Police.”

Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19098503/horrifying-moment-mum-and-child-4-left-for-dead/

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Taxi and private hire drivers in West Berkshire have been given an incentive to go green.

According to Newbury Today, they could be offered subsidies to buy electric vehicle cabs by next year.

Moves to cut the £266 licence fee for EVs, and for hybrid vehicles by 50 per cent, were also applauded by the district’s licensing committee on Monday 4 July.

In addition, councillors were asked to support the capping of the cost of EV rapid charges for taxis licensed in the district.

The decision will be made at the council’s executive committee in September, before which officers will look in to the financial and legal implications.

The proposal follows a survey of the 545 private hire and taxi drivers in West Berkshire to gauge interest in ultra-low emission vehicles.

At the time of the survey, 95 per cent of the fleet was diesel with just one hybrid vehicle in the fleet. Now there is one EV and more than half the drivers said they would be changing their vehicles in the next three years.

Most said they felt the cost of buying an EV was prohibitive.

Other local authorities have already adopted subsidy schemes - with Oxford providing a £5,000 grant. Nottingham has a scheme where hackney cab drivers can trial new electric vehicles.

“I am really pleased there is tangible progress on this,” said Cllr David Marsh.

“I also think we could help the taxi trade out by putting some of the planned council rapid charge units at taxi ranks.

“There is a good business opportunity here for early adopters of this scheme. I think a lot of people would prefer to get in a green taxi these days.”

The committee also supported the idea of cabs charging up overnight in car parks.

The council has already pledged to install charge points in 25 car parks this financial year.

Source: https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/i-think-a-lot-of-people-were-prefer-to-get-in-a-green-taxi-9262340/

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Some taxi fares in Bath and North East Somerset could increase to help drivers cover fuel costs, the council has said.

According to SomersetLive, taxi fares may rise by 11.7 per cent and people are being asked for their views on the proposal.

At the moment, the most hackney cabs can charge for a one-mile journey is £4.80. This will rise to £5.40, if the planned changes go ahead, and is based on a long-standing formula used by the council to decide fare increases.

The calculation is looking at the annual impact of inflation on motoring costs and wages from April to April. It takes the annual percentage increase of the Motoring Expenditure Retail Price Index and also the Average Weekly Earnings Retail Price Index, then weighted 50/50, calculates the applied inflationary rate.

People have eight weeks to comment on the proposed fare increase and the council said it recognised that many residents relied on taxis as an essential form of transport - especially in areas with reduced private hire services.

Tim Ball, the council's cabinet member for planning and licensing, said: "It is vitally important we get people's views because we have to balance the needs of the taxi trade to make a good standard of living in the face of rising costs with the need for an affordable immediate hire taxi service for people who may be dependent on taxis as their only method of door-to-door transport."

Hackney carriage fares were last increased in 2020.

You can comment on the consultation here: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/taxi-fares-consultation.

Source: https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/local-news/bath-taxi-fares-could-increase-7289935

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Taxi drivers are calling for a rank to be built outside the new Broad Marsh bus station over fears people are being left stranded when they arrive in the city by coach.

According to NottinghamshireLive, National Express coaches moved into the new £50m bus station and car park in June.

More than 400 coach services are expected a week, but some taxi drivers say they are furious there is no rank to pick up passengers.

Drivers used to have a taxi rank as part of the former bus station, which has been replaced with a pedestrianised space.

Cabbies said some coach passengers have been left stranded with luggage, pushchairs, and wheelchairs, unable to find the rank outside Loxley House in Trent Street. 

Nottingham City Council says it is also considering building another rank close to the station.

Chander Sood, 61, a taxi driver for more than 25 years, said: "Nottingham must be the only city in the country without a taxi rank outside a bus station. There is no facility for passengers carrying excessive luggage or for the elderly and disabled.

"Where has the council's brain gone? The first thing people want to see when they leave the bus station is a taxi rank. At the old bus station, the rank was very visible."

He said ranks had already been taken away from drivers outside Ocean nightclub and the train station as well as in Traffic Street.

Mohammad Yousaf, 65, who has been a taxi driver for more than 20 years, said: "The biggest problem is people do not know where to go."

Parmjit Purwaha, 64, a taxi driver of 20 years, said: "Trains, buses and taxis go together. We desperately need a rank outside the Broad Marsh. We are losing business.

"We have paid lots of money for new taxis. This is the pride of Nottingham this new fleet and the council should give us a rank."

Mohammed Akram, 64, who has been a taxi driver for 36 years, said: "There are going to be 400 buses and the bus station is large enough to have a rank inside it or outside the main doors. It is unfair for the customer.

"You have got elderly people with wheelchairs and luggage and there is not even a sign for taxis.

"If you are not from Nottingham, you just don’t know where to go. It is uninviting."

Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "We've been consulting and communicating with taxi drivers throughout the Broad Marsh project and continue to work collaboratively with them.

"Free drop-offs and pick-ups are available within the new car park and we're currently looking at a longer-term taxi rank at nearby Melville Street. This is being delayed by construction work but we will look to implement as soon as we can.

"One of the main intentions of the wider Broad Marsh project has always been to reduce traffic in the area and switch priority towards cyclists and pedestrians. 

"As such, there has never been a plan to introduce a rank at the car park. However, there remains a prominent and established rank close by in Trent Street serving both the bus and train stations, where state-of-the-art, wireless charging points are now being installed on the road for use by drivers of electric taxis - the first project of its kind in the UK."

Source: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/taxi-drivers-call-rank-outside-7291554

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