Posted on the 10th November 2025 in PHTM News

EAST AYRSHIRE FARES RISE UP TO 19 PER CENT AFTER DRIVERS WIN APPEAL AGAINST COUNCIL

East Ayrshire taxi drivers have won a significant battle to increase their fares by an average of 15 to 19 per cent after the Deputy Traffic Commissioner, Hugh J. Olson, overturned a decision by East Ayrshire Council’s Licensing Panel.

The council had voted in June to block the fare rise, despite earlier proposals to increase the initial charge of a journey from £4.00 to £4.50 and the cost per additional 130 yards from 20p to 25p.

Drivers, represented by operator Douglas Browning, argued that the existing fare scale, unchanged since 2022, no longer covered their rapidly escalating expenses.

Mr. Browning told the appeal hearing that drivers were facing “unprecedented financial pressures” from rising maintenance, insurance, and wage costs.

Twenty of East Ayrshire’s 37 licensed taxi operators had signed a petition supporting the appeal.

In his ruling issued on September 12, Mr. Olson criticised the council for placing “too much significance” on public objections and comparisons with other authorities and failed to focus on ensuring local drivers earned a fair return.

He stated clearly that: “The public interest is better served by ensuring the maintenance of an adequate taxi service by giving the trade a fair return than by depressing fares for social reasons.”

The Commissioner also noted that only 13 public responses were received during the consultation, deeming this “a tiny proportion of East Ayrshire’s 121,000 residents” and not a meaningful sample.

Mr Olson also criticised the council for using November 2023 - the date of its last review - as the baseline for assessing costs, rather than April 2022, when fares were last actually changed.

He found clear evidence that the trade's operating costs had risen sharply since April 2022, citing increases in inflation (18.5 per cent), the National Minimum Wage (up 29 per cent), and average national pay (up 21 per cent).

The new rates mean a typical two-mile journey will rise from £7.60 to £8.75. Late-night surcharges will now begin at 11 pm instead of midnight, and the charge for a taxi called but not used will increase from £4.00 to £4.50.

The Deputy Traffic Commissioner also urged both councils and taxi operators to provide more detailed cost data in future consultations, saying decisions should be based on “clear evidence” rather than assumptions or general comparisons.

 


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