
Councillors have unanimously agreed on a proposed five per cent increase to maximum taxi fares across Argyll and Bute.
The decision was made during a meeting of the council’s planning, protective services and licensing (PPSL) committee. The review is part of a regular process required to have a new fare structure officially in place by October 22.
The council’s current maximum rates start at an initial charge of £3.80 for daytime hires (7am to 10pm), £4.55 for night-time hires (10pm to 7am), and £5.31 on public holidays.
After the initial charge, passengers are currently billed 25p for every 176, 150, or 120 yards, depending on the time of travel.
Before the meeting, the council contacted 108 taxi operators to gather feedback on the potential changes, receiving 20 written responses. Of those who replied, 12 operators requested a fare increase, while eight asked for rates to stay the same. Responses were only received from the Lomond, Lorn, Cowal, and Bute areas.
Supporting the rise during the debate, Councillor Kieron Green said: “Bearing in mind that we had a 10 per cent increase a year or two ago, but there has been a significant increase in fuel and general inflation, I would be suggesting that looking at the responses, we go for a five per cent increase in fares across the board.”
The council's head of legal and regulatory support will now advertise the proposed tariff changes to the public.
Residents and businesses have one month to submit their feedback, and a final report on their responses will be reviewed by the PPSL committee at their meeting in September.

The drivers all held hackney carriage licences issued by Manchester City Council, which meant they were not legally allowed to pick up unbooked passengers within the Trafford area. 

Peter King groomed his victims in the 1990s and 2000s when they were as young as nine and 11, using day trips, clothes, and food to lure them to his Highgate flat. 

The operator first came to the attention of authorities after advertising fares on social media. 

Diwan Khan, who was jailed for 12 years in April for raping an unconscious 15-year-old girl in his car, held a taxi driver licence issued by Bracknell Forest Council between January 2021 and January 2024.

Sam Hodkinson, 23, was travelling down Blackburn Road in Egerton when the branch suddenly crushed the vehicle, prompting emergency services to temporarily close the road near Higher Dunscar.

The decisions, made during a meeting on June 16, mark a departure from standard licensing policies due to what councillors described as exceptional circumstances beyond the drivers' control.

Damian Watson, 36, was driving a white Mercedes van in Anfield in April this year when he picked up a woman who had mistakenly believed he was the Uber driver she had ordered on her phone.

Running from Friday, June 26 until midday on Friday, August 7, the council is actively seeking feedback from drivers, operators, passengers, and residents on the draft policy.

Emergency services rushed to the scene after Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue were called by the police to assist with the vehicle, which had landed in shallow water.

The claimants allege that Uber obtained and operated under its TfL licence unlawfully between 2012 and March 2018, stripping licensed cabbies of millions of pounds in earnings.

The Highland Council is rushing to revisit a highly controversial decision that allowed convicted rapist David Brown to keep his operator's licence, despite him recently being sentenced to nearly seven years in prison.

Irfan Sarwar had initially kept the cash at his luxury home in the Robroyston area of Glasgow before being intercepted by police during a targeted surveillance operation in Maryhill.

The safety operation, which also utilised mystery shopper exercises to boost security for passengers—particularly women—highlighted a growing concern among local law enforcement.

The dramatic incident unfolded on a Monday in Canterbury, when the driverless cab crossed the front garden and slammed into the structure, dislodging bricks and mangling the vehicle itself.

Under the newly unveiled structure, passengers taking the shortest trips in the city will face a 20% increase, bringing the minimum charge for distances up to 96 yards to £3.

ADCU has submitted formal evidence to London Assembly’s inquiry into AVs, calling for pause in trials until full safety, economic and equality assessments have been carried out.

The marshals will be operating throughout the summer and into 2027 as part of a scheme to improve night-time safety in the city.

Private hire drivers, working on platforms including Uber and Bolt, disrupted a London Assembly Transport Committee meeting on 24 June to protest the planned rollout of driverless cars on London’s streets.

A recent 12-week consultation revealed that 40 per cent of drivers oppose the requirement, slightly outnumbering the 32 per cent who support it.

Officers want to speak to Christian Dobos, 34, after an incident was reported in Sunningdale Gardens where a taxi driver was assaulted and a wing mirror on the taxi was damaged.
