Veezu, Telford's largest private hire company, has implemented a fare increase just as children return to school.
The changes, which took effect on September 1, 2025, include a £1 surcharge on fares during peak school travel times, raising concerns for families and commuters.
A partner driver told Telford Live that the surcharge will apply from 7:30am to 9am and again from 2:30pm to 4pm. This could lead to a significant increase in costs, with a family relying on a taxi for school transport potentially paying an additional £40 a month.
The fare increase coincides with new terms for drivers, which have been met with dissatisfaction.
From documentation seen by TelfordLive, drivers will be on a sliding scale for accepting more fares, with a cap at £142 a week for taking more than 30 bookings a week, but drivers will have to pay 30% “Weekly Access Fee” commission for taking 10 bookings a week or fewer.
All fares now attract a booking fee ranging between 30p and 50p – up from 20p – a trip and this is outside of the cap.
Previously the partner drivers were charged a fixed 18%. The minimum now will be 20% for taking more than 30 bookings a week.
According to a driver who spoke with Telford Live, Veezu has refused to meet in person to discuss the new terms, instead insisting on email communication and are "refusing to budge on any areas".
The new structure disproportionately affects drivers who primarily do long-distance or airport runs, as one driver explained: "For some drivers doing mainly airport runs and long distance where you can’t physically do ten a week, this change will mean that they are paying a much higher proportion of their earnings to Veezu than someone doing local jobs.”
The drivers' spokesperson said that a letter was sent to Veezu on August 28, but the company is requiring each driver to submit their grievance individually through a driver portal.
The spokesperson added that drivers have "not ruled out strike action" and that "we could see 200 drivers looking at alternative platforms, such as Uber, if Veezu are unwilling to negotiate or open dialogue with drivers.”
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