Posted on the 11th February 2026 in PHTM News

ROYAL BOROUGH TAXI FARES SET TO RISE BY TEN PER CENT FOR DAY TARIFF

Taxi passengers in the Royal Borough will soon see higher prices after councillors unanimously voted to increase daytime fares for the first time since 2022.

The decision follows a petition from drivers who asked for a 10 per cent increase to the daytime rate and a rise in the minimum fare from £6 to £7. Nighttime rates and bank holiday prices will remain the same.

During a meeting at the Town Hall on Monday 9 February, the licensing panel clarified how the new rules would affect larger vehicles.

Currently, taxis carrying five or more people charge a 50 per cent surcharge. Greg Nelson, the council’s licensing manager, explained that this was originally introduced "to reflect the extra work and time taken with large groups of passengers in larger licensed vehicles."

However, some drivers had hoped the minimum fare for these bigger vehicles would jump to £9.

Mr Nelson argued that adding a 50 per cent increase on top of the existing surcharge would be "unfair" and "excessive" for passengers, stating: "The intention was that the minimum fare, which is currently £6, would be the same for all vehicles for all journeys."

A representative for the taxi drivers told the panel that raising the minimum fare to £7 was "paramount" right now.

While councillors agreed to the immediate increase, some expressed concern that drivers of larger vehicles face higher running costs.

Councillor Gurch Singh noted that these drivers are "disproportionately disadvantaged" because "they’re spending more money on the cars generally."

To provide immediate relief to the industry, Councillor Neil Knowles argued for passing the current changes quickly, saying: "I think then we would give some certainty to the hackney drivers because we would be proceeding now, otherwise they’re going to wait another month, two months."

The council ultimately agreed to the 10 per cent daytime rise and the £7 minimum fare, but promised to hold a new public consultation soon to decide if the minimum fare for larger vehicles should be increased even further.


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