
Taxi drivers in North Yorkshire are warning that many are earning less than the minimum wage as they battle soaring fuel costs caused by the ongoing war in Iran.
While North Yorkshire Council has proposed a five per cent increase across all fare bands, drivers argue the hike is far too low to keep their businesses afloat.
At a meeting in Northallerton on Tuesday, May 12, councillors agreed to start a public consultation on the plan, which would see standard mile rates rise from £2.22 to £2.33; waiting time charges increase from £20.23 to £21.24 per hour and an increease in evening and weekend tariffs, with tariff three rising from £4.20 to £4.41 per mile.
However, industry leaders say these figures don’t reflect the "reality" of modern costs.
Lisa Ridsdale, general manager of the taxi firm Take Me, told officials that after paying for vehicle maintenance and fuel, drivers are often left with poverty-level wages. She noted that while the council promotes a living wage for its own staff, they "seem quite happy to allow us to be below that."
The struggle is particularly acute in rural areas where public transport is limited.
Ms. Ridsdale warned that if fares do not rise significantly, drivers will quit, leaving residents without an "essential" service for hospital appointments and work.
Richard Fieldman, representing the North Yorkshire Taxi Drivers group, criticised the council for failing to offer "emergency assistance" as fuel prices spiked daily following the start of the conflict in February. He has called for an immediate increase of at least 20p to the "flag fall" starting rate and a pro-rata increase for tariffs two and three.
Council leaders defended the five per cent proposal, with Councillor Simon Myers stating it "struck the right balance" between helping drivers and keeping travel affordable for the public.
He described the plan as a "proportionate and evidence-based response" to the crisis.
Members of the public and the taxi trade will now have the opportunity to submit formal objections before a final decision is made.

Shofiul Islam, 40, returned to his car on Monday, May 11, to find his passenger window shattered and his vehicle ransacked.

The incident occurred on Friday, April 17, after the driver picked up a group of four passengers during the evening.

The British government has announced a massive shake-up of taxi laws to fix a broken system that dates back to the era of horse-drawn carriages.

The proposals, set to be discussed by the licensing committee on 18 May, come after checking the council’s internal costs revealed the price of running the Public Protection service has soared.

Robert Mitchell, 36, was jailed for 30 months on May 8 after admitting to the attack, which was sparked by a dispute over a small upfront fare.

The incident, which occurred on March 23, reportedly began when the man questioned a taxi driver for parking in a disabled bay without a Blue Badge.

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The couple, who had just arrived on a train from Cork, testified that Mr. Dongo shouted at them in an "aggressive and abusive manner" before winding up his window and driving away.

The dramatic incident, which occurred on May 1, was captured on dashcam showing the woman leaping onto the tarmac, sending her shoes and phone flying as following motorists braked hard to avoid her.

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