Burnham-on-Sea taxi operators have welcomed an increase in local fares which they say will help them meet the rising costs of running their services.
The first rise in fares since 2019 was recently approved by Somerset Council’s Executive and has come into effect this week.
Talking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, Dave Regan, owner of Saints Taxis, said: “I believe proprietors are welcoming this increase as our costs for servicing and maintaining vehicles has increased significantly since the last fare increase in May 2019.”
“Since the last increase, Burnham-On-Sea and the surrounding area has seen a total of five Burnham-On-Sea taxi firms ceasing operating with a loss of 12 vehicles.”
“However, I am conscious that people are feeling the pinch due to the cost-of-living crisis, and, for many of our customers, taxis are not a luxury, rather a necessity because public transport is limited and unreliable.”
“Somerset Council’s Executive had a difficult task. The county had five different tariffs, and it was inevitable that the rates charged across the county would need to be aligned.”
“Previously, the starting rate set by Sedgemoor was £3 and the charge for a one-mile journey £5. Under the new tariff, the starting flag – which covers the first mile – will be £4.60; the increase will only really be noticed on journeys over a mile and will be minimal for local journeys.”
“There was a request from many operators regarding a ‘booking fee’ for certain in-district journeys. The previous Sedgemoor tariff allowed companies to charge a booking fee of up to £20 to cover ‘dead mileage’.”
“For example, if somebody needed to get from Blackford to Wedmore, it would not be financially viable for a taxi to travel from Burnham to Blackford to collect the passenger and take them on to Wedmore.”
“As we move into the holiday season, the removal of the booking fee will have a significant impact on visitors who wish to travel from say, Unity Farm to Animal Farm. It just will not happen.”
“The increase will not be implemented immediately. The meters require programming with the updated software; therefore it may be a week or two before the new rates are charged.”
Dave says that local companies have seen a number of rising costs since the last fares increase five years ago. Fuel, maintenance and vehicles insurance have all risen. “As an example, a tyre for my larger vehicles cost £70 in 2019, and they’re now £110,” he says.
New taxi and private hire charges:
The following maximum taxi fees were approved by Somerset Council’s Executive on May 8th and came into effect from May 20th:
Standard tariff:
£4.60 first mile
30p for each completed 1/10th of a mile or part thereof
Waiting time:
£1 per each completed two minutes
Non-standard tariffs (one per fare):
+50% Mon-Fri between 10pm and 7am
+50% Saturdays and Sundays all day
+50% In excess of four passengers Mon-Fri between 7am and 10pm
+100% In excess of four passengers Mon-Fri between 10pm and 7am
+100% Saturdays and Sundays all day
+100% Public and Bank Holidays inc. Christmas Day
+100% Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 6pm-Midnight
Extras: Soiling charge £100. Full recharge: toll/clean air zone charges
Drivers and people with disabilities will get their say on plans to make all new applicants for taxi and private hire licences provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles before a final decision is made.
Barrhead News reports that rules on wheelchair-accessible vehicles were relaxed in East Renfrewshire during the Covid pandemic, leading to a “significant drop-off” in numbers — with just four reportedly on the roads now.
Disability groups have suggested the current policy should be scrapped, but the industry has voiced concerns over the financial impact on drivers, who will need to buy more expensive vehicles.
East Renfrewshire Council carried out a consultation between December and May and has proposed all new applicants provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles, but there is no fee for these initial applications.
However, it will allow stakeholders who wish to address the licensing committee to attend a meeting in June to share their views. An 18-month trial period is likely for any changes.
A council official said: “I am conscious in light of the responses we received, there are a number of points of view on this particular issue.
“I’m also conscious that the committee has not heard directly from the individuals concerned, both on the disability side of the equation and on the trade side of the equation.”
Previously all applications for new taxi and private hire car licences required vehicles to be wheelchair accessible. This was relaxed in April 2021 due to the impact of the pandemic on the taxi trade.
At that time, there were 40 wheelchair-accessible vehicles in East Renfrewshire, but that has “dropped dramatically both as a result of lapsed licences and drivers replacing wheelchair-accessible vehicles” with other vehicles when they renewed their licence.
There are now “only four such vehicles” licensed, out of 429 licensed taxis and private hire cars in the area.
Council officials reported disability rights groups highlighted struggles to “organise wheelchair-accessible vehicles for scheduled trips, particularly those coinciding with school run times”.
They added users had been “deterred from making bookings due to historic difficulties in obtaining appropriate transportation” and that some drivers were “reluctant to undertake short journeys due to the disproportionate time required to assist the customer in entering and exiting the vehicle”.
Trade representatives reported the price of “new vehicles of this type was in the region of £70,000” and stated they did not believe local demand for such vehicles to be high.
They also believe the proposals could deter applications and lead to “shrinking the taxi/private hire fleet to a size which did not provide a reasonable service to all East Renfrewshire users”.
A wheelchair-accessible vehicle would be described as a “vehicle, whether a taxi or private hire vehicle, which is of a size capable of accommodating a wheelchair user (in their wheelchair) and at least one other passenger, provides a safe means of both entry and egress from the vehicle and has an appropriate means of securing the wheelchair whilst in transit”.
A man has been jailed after killing a passer-by in a row over parking.
BBC News reports that Harry Fowle, 34, (pictured left) punched 53-year-old Anthony Harley after Mr Harley told him he could not park his car in a taxi bay in Church Street, Blackpool on 19 February.
Mr Harley's head hit the ground and he died in hospital a month later.
Fowle, from Blackpool, was jailed at Preston Crown Court for one year and 10 months after admitting Mr Harley's manslaughter in February.
Mr Harley's father Paul said the loss of his son had been "like a bomb being dropped on our lives".
Fowle was originally arrested on suspicion of wounding and was charged with manslaughter following Anthony Harley’s death.
Paul Harley said his son's life was taken in the most "soul-destroying way".
In a victim personal statement he said the family were already "grieving and absolutely heartbroken" after his wife of 57 years died from cancer.
“I remember a phone call telling me Anthony had been involved in an incident and was in intensive care," he said.
"I fell to pieces and was devastated at hearing this.
“We were asked as a family to attend the hospital some three and a half weeks after the assault on Anthony.
"We were told the doctors had done everything they could, and Anthony’s brain had died.
“Having to turn the machines off and take out the tubes that were keeping Anthony alive was absolutely heart-breaking and it absolutely ripped our hearts out."
Det Insp Simon Pritchard said the case "shows the devastating consequences which can result from a single punch".
South Gloucestershire is running the risk of having no taxis, prompting council chiefs to consider scrapping the rule that all taxis must be wheelchair accessible.
According to GloucestershireLive, the number of hackney carriages has dramatically dropped from 300 in 2016 to just 81 this year.
Seven years ago, the local authority implemented a policy requiring all taxis to be wheelchair accessible. However, despite being postponed twice, the policy has never been enforced, with only 25 of the current fleet equipped with the necessary ramps and facilities.
The main issue is the hefty cost for drivers and operators to convert a vehicle, leading many to abandon the profession altogether. Now, councillors have agreed to postpone the policy for a third time, from October 1, 2024, to June 1 next year, while officers reassess the authority's licensing policy and seek public opinion on whether to abandon the requirement.
A report to South Gloucestershire Council regulatory committee said: “The current number of hackney carriage vehicles has reduced substantially and now represents less than a third of the number when the policy was first agreed.
"This does raise a concern that should the trend continue, South Gloucestershire runs a risk of having no, or so few, taxi vehicles that any policy would be ineffective and be of detriment to all members of the public in the future.”
It said the total number of licensed vehicles had actually increased from 450 in 2016 to more than 3,000 last year, but this included a huge rise in private hire vehicles, and that hackney carriage numbers continued to drop.
The report said: “The wheelchair accessible vehicles that proprietors are required to purchase at this time remain in the main diesel vehicles.
“There is genuine concern that drivers will once again be required to upgrade these to hybrid/electric vehicles in a few years’ time if the council’s goal is for all licensed vehicles to be electric by 2030. Wheelchair-accessible electric vehicles remain currently prohibitively expensive.”
It said that, by law, the council could not impose the requirement on private hire vehicles.
The report continued: “Hackney carriage vehicles provide a valuable public transport service in the district, particularly in rural areas, and at times when other modes of public transport are not available.
“In order for this service to remain viable it is important to maintain a viable fleet.”
Imploring councillors not to scrap the rule, David Redgewell, of South Gloucestershire Disabilities Equalities Network, told the meeting on Thursday, May 16: “We’re very concerned about the level of wheelchair accessible taxis in the district.
“We only have 25 to cover an area from Filton right up to Wickwar, Charfield and the villages. It’s very difficult to get a wheelchair taxi in South Gloucestershire. We would urge you not to go backwards.”
Council service director for place Andrew Birch said the committee was being asked to defer implementing the current policy rather than change it, pending the review.
He said: “We are due to do a full-scale review of the whole taxi policy in 2024 which will include 12-week public consultation including engagement with the travelling public and disability groups.
Mr Birch said the number of WAVs had remained roughly the same over the last eight years – 25 now compared with 31 in 2016. “So the policy intention and what’s actually happened has not worked from the hackney carriage wheelchair-accessible perspective,” he said.
“During the covid years there was a lack of supply for wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The market consequence of that is that they’ve increased in price again.
“I’ve heard at the taxi liaison group from the trade of the barriers they see in moving from a saloon-type vehicle to a wheelchair-accessible vehicle – it is tens of thousands of pounds extra.
"We will need to take a balanced view following the feedback in the consultation about the requirement for hackney carriage vehicles to be wheelchair accessible.”
Cllr Mike Drew (Lib Dem, Yate North) said: “Ideally any disabled person should be able to hail down any passing taxi and make use of it. It’s a very difficult situation. This committee has been pondering its idealism with its practicality for a number of years.”
Under the proposals, existing taxi owners could choose whether to make their vehicles wheelchair accessible while any new ones would still need to meet the current condition.
Source: https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/regional-news/south-gloucestershire-could-run-out-9297597
On Monday 20 May, Nottingham’s leading taxi firm, DG Cars, hosted a ‘Rosie May Day’ in honour of local charity partner, the Rosie May Foundation.
The Foundation was created in 2004 by Graham and Mary Storrie following the tragic death of their daughter, Rosie May. Since then, its team has been encouraging the public and local business partners to host events throughout the months of May and June to mark what would have been their daughter’s 31st birthday.
Founded to provide families with positive future prospects so that children can grow up within safe communities, The Rosie May Foundation is headquartered in Nottingham, with facilities in both Sri Lanka and Nepal, all used to support families in crisis around the globe through education and empowerment schemes.
One such scheme is the ‘Think Pink’ initiative; created with the aim of making taxi and private hire vehicle driving an accessible and attractive career choice for females.
Since partnering with DG Cars in 2022, to encourage more women into the workforce, through its comprehensive training programmes, the taxi firm has enlisted more than 50 female drivers across its East Midlands network.
In celebration of its Think Pink drivers and the Foundation’s continued work, DG Cars hosted the Rosie May Day event – held at its central Nottingham headquarters – which saw over 50 guests attend, including Think Pink Nottingham drivers and Councillor Audrey Dinnall, Chair of licensing, regulatory and appeals for Nottingham City Council.
Attendees at the event were surrounded by the Foundation’s pink tuk tuks and the iconic tuk box van, which served hot drinks and sweet treats to guests. The iconic tuk tuks were one of the first vehicles to be used in the Think Pink initiative when the Foundation began its work in Southeast Asia, and it has now become synonymous with the charity.
Commenting on the event, James Knox, integrator at DG Cars, said: “Ever since joining forces with the Rosie May Foundation and Think Pink in 2022, we have seen first- hand the incredible work they do to help rebuild families and children’s lives in local and global communities.
“This is our second Rosie May Day Event, having held our first one back in 2023. This year, we once again wanted to show our support for the Foundation at such an important time - especially as an integral charity partner of ours, and an extension of the wider DG Cars family.
"Our team of Think Pink drivers are imperative to the success of our operation, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to thank them for their hard work, while also honouring Rosie May and the Storrie family.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Rosie May Foundation and Think Pink, in order to raise awareness of the Foundation, its commitment to help diverse communities and its work to encourage more women to pursue a professional, successful and supported driving career.”
Councillor Audrey Dinnall, added: “It was an honour to attend the Rosie May Day, hosted by DG Cars. Seeing how the Storrie family has used this tragic event to make a positive impact on the community is admirable and it was humbling to hear about their successes, despite their tragedy, over the past two decades.
“I’d like to thank DG Cars for hosting the occasion, and Think Pink and the Rosie May Foundation for everything they do. I hope they continue to inspire and unite communities, encouraging more women to pursue their career as taxi drivers, and I look forward to seeing more Think Pink drivers take to the roads in the future."
Mary Storrie, founder of the Rosie May Foundation, also commented: “We decided to launch the Rosie May Day events as an opportunity to honour our late daughter as she would have turned 31 this month. We want everyone to celebrate her legacy in any way they can, whether that be by hosting a coffee afternoon or simply wearing pink to show support of the Foundation.
“On behalf of myself and the family, I’d like to say a huge thank you to DG Cars for hosting its own Rosie May Day, and for its continued support alongside the Think Pink drivers of Nottingham.
"Without taxi firms such as DG Cars, we wouldn’t have such a successful initiative where we can continue to inspire girls and women to be safe, but also feel empowered in a career that they might not have thought about.”
For more information about the Rosie May Foundation, click here: https://www.rosie-may.com, and for more information about DG Cars and its partnership with Think Pink visit https://dgcars.co.uk/.
Ways of increasing the amount of wheelchair-accessible taxis across the city are set to be explored to make it easier for those who need one to get one.
Cumbrian taxi drivers are fighting back against proposed licensing changes they fear will cripple their livelihoods.
Bolton taxi drivers are urged to sign up for free safeguarding and disability awareness training before the deadline on October 31st, 2024.
A Conwy Council meeting on Monday revealed a critical failing that allowed a taxi driver whose license had been revoked to continue transporting children to school.
Worcester City Council is seeking public opinion on a proposal to make safeguarding training mandatory for taxi and private hire drivers.
A proposal to increase driver, vehicle and private hire operator licences was discussed on Friday 19 July 19 at Sheffield City Council’s waste and street scene committee.
Through this collaboration, FREENOW willl provide additional benefits giving drivers up to 25% off pay-as-you-go rates across the entire bp pulse electric charging network and discounted fuel at all UK bp branded sites.
Wakefield Licensing, working alongside West Yorks Police Roads Policing unit, NPT, Off-Road Bike Team, Police Intercept Team, DVLA & DVSA, held a Partnership Day of Action at Thornes Park.
A pilot emissions reduction grant scheme providing financial support for hackney carriage drivers to upgrade to cleaner EURO 6 and fully battery powered vehicles has been launched.
The ride-hailing giant has submitted an application for an operator licence to Darlington Borough Council, with a decision expected in August.
Darlington could soon see Uber cars on its streets after the ride-hailing giant applied for a licence to operate in the town.
Stratford-upon-Avon District Council has revoked the licences of two taxi drivers following a series of speeding offences.
A Northampton taxi driver has been found guilty of trafficking cocaine between his home city and Milford Haven.
The move comes after concerns were raised by the taxi industry about the rising cost of purchasing new vehicles.
Guide Dogs charity has asked licensing authorities in England for their support in sharing guidance on the law on carrying guide or other assistance dogs with all taxi and private hire operators.
Reading Taxi Association (RTA) chairman Asif Rashid has slammed Reading Borough Council's proposed phase-out of older petrol and diesel cabs by 2028, calling it a financial burden for drivers.
Dorset Council is poised to review taxi fares across the region, excluding Weymouth and Portland which have separate regulations.
A North Belfast man, Ruairi Fintan Muldoon (31), has been sentenced to 12 months in prison with an additional 12 months on supervised release for a botched attempt to rob a taxi driver.
Passengers are been invited to take part in a survey aimed at finding out if the taxi trade in West Suffolk is accessible to all.
A Glasgow man, Darren Gray, 31, launched into a verbal tirade and racially abused a taxi driver on Paisley Road West on August 19th, 2022.