
Senior Cumberland councillors agreed on September 16, 2026, to launch a consultation on a single, region-wide hackney carriage tariff card.
If approved, the two-mile fare would harmonise at £7, matching Carlisle rates while raising fares £1 (17%) in Allerdale and 80p (13%) in Copeland, with no change for Carlisle.
The move responds to trade requests driven by rising operating costs and fuel prices linked to international market pressures and the "Iran-American conflict".
During the Allerdale House meeting in Workington, portfolio holder Cllr Bob Kelly noted discussions with Carlisle drivers suggested a higher £7.50 rate so local drivers would see actual increases, emphasising the £7 figure is a 'maximum fee' - noting: “If they don’t want to charge the maximum they don’t have to.”
Opposition has surfaced, with chief legal officer Claire Liddle confirming an objection email from Chris Bray, secretary of the Carlisle 2022 Taxi and Private Hire Association.
Meanwhile, portfolio holder Cllr Justin McDermott urged examining rural industry viability and the “cost of living crisis” facing drivers.
Licensing across Allerdale, Carlisle, and Copeland merged on April 1, 2023, following Cumberland Council’s formation, with this consultation marking the first step toward replacing legacy tariff differences.

Cllr Andrew Parkhurst shared the footage online, stating: "I have been sent a shocking video. It appears to show a Flintshire cabbie watching YouTube while driving a vulnerable child.

Sukhy Sidhu, 59, was alerted just after 10.15pm by his 21-year-old son when a Ring doorbell alarm went off, capturing footage of a person standing next to the vehicle as flames ignited.

Muhammad Malik, 46, claimed a bin bag containing the £50,000 worth of drugs was left behind by an unidentified customer and that he set off on an 11-hour, 600-mile round trip to Scotland.

Abdiqadir Mohamed Nur faced Glasgow City Council’s licensing and regulatory committee at John Street following a complaint to the local authority’s taxi and private hire enforcement unit.

Coventry taxi fares will increase despite opposition from local cabbies, following approval by cabinet member for city services Cllr Patricia Hetherton on 15 September.

The council tested 630 drivers - 13% of its 4,800 registered drivers - over the past 7 years, uncovering a “small minority” using illegal substances on a “recreational basis or as habitual users.”

officers from the Heywood Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a comprehensive Traffic Enforcement Operation under the banner of Op Paragon. 

Lead licensing officer Nicky Jones told councillors that Denbighshire’s rates sit above 2nd place Swansea and beat averages in England, while other N. Wales councils charge “a lot less than ours”.

London’s licensed taxi fleet could shrink further as parts shortages for TX5 electric cabs leave self-employed drivers facing income loss and extended vehicle downtime.

If approved, the new maximum rates will start on 1 October. No objections were raised during a public consultation, and the local taxi trade supports the review.

Cllr John Grafton says resigning as a councillor is an option following no confidence vote over a controversial June decision to let convicted rapist David Brown keep his taxi operator’s licence.

Local operator Blueline has been pushing for the colour requirement to be reconsidered, arguing that mandatory full-body yellow resprays or wraps add over £2,000 extra per vehicle

This new model will take over from the iconic TX range-extended electric taxi which launched in 2018

eteran cabbie Rob Finlayson told PHTM: "Glasgow City Council is proposing to revoke the North Hanover Street taxi stance beside Queen Street Station. I’ve formally objected.

The follows a six year jail term being given in October 2022 to David Park, the 73-year-old Director of the firm, who used stolen taxes to help buy a £3.8 million mansion in rural Berkshire.

Tekla Adofo, 36, first came to the attention of the police on January 28 after a private hire driver realised his passenger was carrying a blade during a fare. 

Jodie Wright, Site Manager for Take Me Wellingborough, teamed up with Gareth Footbatten, Take Me Area Manager for Northants, alongside other company managers to complete Challenge the Wild.

Taxi and private hire drivers gathered at a city centre meeting in Carlisle on Monday, 14 September, to voice serious concerns about how the local trade is being managed across the Cumberland Council area.

The proposed changes seek to align our policy with updated national guidance and best practice, as well as improve consistency with neighbouring authorities.

The firm achieved the internationally recognised standard after having its management processes independently assessed
