Posted on the 10th February 2026 in PHTM News

CEREDIGION TAXI DRIVERS PUSH FOR FARE HIKE TO COMBAT RISING COSTS

Taxi drivers in Ceredigion are urging the local council to approve a fare increase, warning that the trade is becoming unsustainable under current rates.

Ceredigion County Council’s Licensing Committee is set to meet on Thursday 12 February, to discuss a proposal that could see the cost of travel rise significantly for the first time since 2022.

The push for a price hike comes as drivers struggle with the "inflation in running costs," with many reporting earnings that fall near or below the minimum wage.

According to a council report, the industry is facing a crisis of "low earnings and concerns about the long-term sustainability of the trade."

The suggested tariff increase in the request included adding a minimum of £1 to fares for each first half-mile and then 2p to each subsequent tenth of a mile. 

That plan would “represent an overall average increase of approximately 23.7 per cent across all fare components,” the report said.

If approved, a standard two-mile journey would jump from £6.80 to £8.25. This change would catapult Ceredigion from 226th in the PHTM league table to having "the highest of all Welsh councils" for that distance.

A survey of the trade revealed that 88 per cent of respondents back an increase. While some favour the larger jump, nearly half of the drivers surveyed requested a more modest 10 per cent rise, which would bring a two-mile trip to £7.45.

Supporters argue that "higher fares would support fair pay, driver retention, improved vehicle standards, safer and more reliable services, and local economic benefits."

The council report noted that "current fares, particularly daytime rates, are widely viewed as insufficient," and the proposed changes are intended to bring Ceredigion’s prices "closer to neighbouring authorities such as Carmarthenshire and Gwynedd."


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