
Somerset taxi passengers will soon face higher travel costs after the local authority moved to increase maximum fare limits.
Somerset Council’s executive committee is expected to approve the new tariff structure today, 2 September, to help drivers cope with mounting fuel and insurance expenses.
Under the revised pricing, the standard meter will start at £5.06 for the first mile, followed by 33p for every subsequent tenth of a mile, while waiting time will cost £1.10 for every two full minutes.
Drivers will also be permitted to apply a 50 per cent surcharge during late-night hours, weekends, or when transporting larger groups, alongside a 100 per cent markup for peak holiday periods including Christmas and bank holidays.
Additional passenger charges will include a £100 cleaning fee for soiling the vehicle, a £10 pre-booking fee, and full reimbursement for any road tolls or clean air zone charges.
The overhaul follows a May consultation where nearly 150 local firms and vehicle owners weighed in on the financial pressures facing the trade. While 59 per cent of respondents backed the rise, more than half admitted they worried higher prices would dent passenger demand.
Over 40 per cent of operators argued that current rates were no longer financially viable against a backdrop of steep inflation.
Writing in an official report, senior licensing officer John Rendell noted that the current maximum tariffs have remained unchanged since May 2024. "The majority support a fare increase, with a need to balance trade viability and passenger affordability," Rendell stated, highlighting that respondents emphasised "the importance of regular, structured fare reviews."
The adjustments will push the average price of a two-mile local journey from £7.60 up to £8.60, positioning Somerset as having the third highest regional rates in the south west outside of Cornwall.
The updated fares are scheduled to take effect across the council area by September 19.

Leon Gladdis, 29, of Newport, admitted to aggravated vehicle taking when he appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court last month, reversing an earlier not-guilty plea.

Under the proposals, several existing taxi stands on Church Street, Bridge Street, and Exchange Street will be removed and replaced with new locations across the town centre.

The new scheme, named Bolt Flex, allows passengers to use the existing app to book a vehicle and agree on a fare directly with the driver.

Conducted on the morning of August 12, the initiative focused on checking vehicles and drivers crossing local authority boundaries to ensure maximum passenger safety.

Sana Majeed, 28, initially entered a not guilty plea at Blackburn Magistrates' Court before changing his plea to guilty for driving while over the limit for benzoylecgonine.

Laura Hegart, 50, and her 26-year-old daughter had ordered a Renfrewshire Cab outside Whisky Joe's Bar at around 9pm on January 27 when they noticed two men inside the vehicle.

Jordan Hammond, 34, was jailed for four years at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting to causing grievous bodily harm with a one-year extended licence period.

A special meeting of the Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council General Licensing committee is set to review a consultation report that examines several ways to adjust pricing to help the trade cope with rising expenses.

Kolawole Erunkulu, 45, from Bexleyheath, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after his Audi swerved into a layby on the A23 in Merstham and struck 59-year-old Philip Dray on August 17, 2025.

Christina Calderato, TfL’s director of strategy, recently told the London assembly’s transport committee that the transit authority would not be ready to accept applications “for some time.”

The Executive Committee will review the recommendation on September 2, and if approved, the revised policy will take effect on September 28. 

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The local licensing manager has deemed the proposed increase reasonable due to rising fuel costs and the length of time since the last fare review in 2022.

Neil McLennan, owner of iCars, was told by a licensing officer that the displays violated council advertising policies.

Gary Taylor, a 20-year-old veteran of the capital's taxi trade, received the penalty after dropping off the passenger at 10.30pm in the Brentford Lock area.

Robert Hooper, 51, targeted the 49-year-old cabbie on Queen Anne Street after spending the day begging on the streets.

Liam O’Leary, 46, (left) from Lincoln was jailed for 3 years and 4 months and Shane McHale, 23, also from Lincoln was jailed for 3 years and 2 months.

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A Leeds private hire driver has been banned from the road for three years and stripped of his licence after nearly colliding with a police car while using a mobile phone at the wheel.

According to Department for Transport statistics from April 2026, this equates to a mere 0.6 vehicles for every 1,000 residents, placing the district among the areas most vulnerable to becoming a rural taxi desert.
