WEALDEN COUNCILLORS BACK 10 PER CENT TAXI FARE HIKE AFTER FOUR YEAR FREEZE

Councillors in Wealden have backed plans to raise maximum hackney carriage taxi fares by 10 per cent, marking the first fare increase in the district in four years.

On Monday, July 27, Wealden District Council’s General Purposes and Licensing Committee agreed to support the proposal, which will now go to the council's lead member for licensing for final approval, with the new rates expected to take effect from September 7.

The committee heard that the 10 per cent boost was considered a "reasonable" adjustment to help drivers cope with rising operational expenses since maximum fares were last raised in October 2022.

Although overall inflation has driven general prices up by 14.6 per cent since then, fuel costs initially dropped before surging again due to conflict in the Middle East, with average diesel prices rising from 155 pence per litre in March to 173 pence per litre at the time of the meeting.

The proposed hike went through a public consultation that drew four formal responses, though only two explicitly opposed the increase.

Objections included concerns over the time taken to implement the new rates and requests for alternative adjustments, such as earlier night-time tariffs and extra charges for passengers travelling with dogs.

The Wealden Drivers’ Association supported reviewing maximum fares but raised specific concerns over the proposed pricing structure.

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