Posted on the 12th December 2025 in PHTM News
WIRRAL TAXI FARES TO RISE AS DRIVER WARNS OF THE RISK OF LOSING THE HACKNEY FLEET
Taxi fares in Wirral are set to increase after drivers successfully pleaded with councillors for a raise, with one representative delivering a blunt warning that the borough risked losing its entire hackney carriage fleet.
The Regulatory and General Purposes Committee approved the proposal, put forward by Unite the Union, at a meeting on December 10, despite having received four objections from the public following an advertisement and direct communication to drivers.
The new rates will see day rates increase by as much as 13% for longer journeys, with Christmas and New Year’s one-mile journeys also rising by 13%. A new tariff will also be introduced for journeys extending four miles or more beyond the Wirral boundary.
Unite the Union representative, Gary Gregory, argued that the fare increase was essential for drivers to earn a living, given rising costs.
“The world is a real place. It’s not a fantasy world you live in. Costs go up all the time. Everyone in this room has got something to buy that’s more this year than it was last year. That’s the same for me,” Mr Gregory stated.
He added: “Often I have got to sit on the same tariff for years and years and I can’t increase my income in any way whatsoever. That is why we need a rise.”
The driver painted a bleak picture of the industry, noting that the number of active hackney carriages has fallen to just 137, with the council no longer hitting its driver limit. “You will have no hackney fleet. If you can’t allow people to make a living from it, we won’t be here,” he warned.
The session also saw an exchange regarding communication with the council's licensing manager, Andrew Bushell. Mr Gregory claimed he tried to contact the manager, telling him “I thought you had died” after a claimed offer by the council to waive a fee.
Mr Bushell clarified that the possible fee waiver was discussed but Mr Gregory was only told it would be looked at. The council’s solicitor Paul Martin confirmed that fees generated from licences could not legally be used for this purpose.
Another driver, Colin Johnson, supported the application, saying drivers were waiting for over an hour for a fare and were effectively working below minimum wage.
Councillors ultimately voted to approve the fare increase. The new fares are scheduled to be introduced by January 26, with some drivers potentially able to implement them sooner.
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