INCREASES to Rugby taxi fares will be mitigated by a six-hour extension to the cheaper daytime rate if new proposals are adopted by Rugby Borough Council (RBC).
The council’s Licensing and Safety committee will consider a report recommending changes to hackney carriage fares when it meets on Wednesday (March 21).
The daytime starting rate is proposed to increase from £2.30 to £3.20 – but will give customers a longer journey before increments start to be added.
The nighttime starting rate, which currently covers 6pm-6am, would increase from £2.80 to £4.80 – but would start at midnight instead of 6pm.
The changes would mean a three mile journey during the daytime would increase from £7.20 to £7.80. The same journey after midnight would increase from £7.70 to £11.70, but would only increase from £7.70 to £7.80 between 6pm and midnight.
Journeys on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day will be charged double the daytime rate, as now.
Extra charges – such as for additional passengers and bags – would not be charged under the new tariff.
The proposals would give hackney carriage drivers their first fare increase for ten years.
RBC environment and public realm spokeswoman Coun Lisa Parker said: “These proposed changes have given us an opportunity to make the tariffs fairer to customers by giving them a longer journey on the basic rate and moving the start of the night-time rate to the end of the evening.
“At the same time we’ve been able to support hackney carriage drivers, many of whom are self-employed and with regulated incomes, by addressing cost of living increases over the last ten years.
“The licensing and safety committee will need to consider the positive feedback we’ve had from the industry and balance this against the need to protect customers.”
The licensing and safety committee meeting takes place at 5:30pm on Wednesday (March 21).
If approved, the new tariffs will be subject to a consultation period but could be in place by May 2018.
