The starting fare for taxis has been increased by £1 to help cabbies with the cost of living.
KentOnline reports that Medway Council’s Cabinet approved the change of the starting price from £3 to £4 earlier this week.
Councillors accepted a recommendation made by the authority’s licensing sub-committee to increase the flag rate.
It comes after Nigel Jackson, chairman of the Medway Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (MLTDA), made the request following a survey of members.
Although the starting rate will rise, rates for yards travelled will remain at 20p per 170 yards and 20p for 40 seconds of waiting time.
This is because drivers felt that increasing these rates as well would make taxis less competitive.
Cllr Tristan Osborne (Lab), portfolio holder for community safety and enforcement, said the rise would help keep the taxi industry in Medway sustainable as it would support drivers to earn a decent living.
He said: “We all wish to have a taxi trade which is profitable and supporting local people.
“This is about ensuring our industry is sustainable going forward and people who work and support our communities by helping people get around are supported and can support their families.”
Mr Jackson, speaking last month at the sub-committee, said the rise would mean cabbies could earn a sustainable living, as some drivers were having to work up to 70 hours per week to make ends meet.
He explained: “The £1 increase on the flag to some could seem quite substantial, but in relation to our costs, it will certainly help the trade to earn a sustainable living.
“With this we can attract drivers into the industry saying this is a good job to work in.”
Source: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/starting-taxi-fares-to-increase-by-1-303484/
Black and white cabs in Cardiff will now be required to take card payments as well as cash from 1 September.
According to WalesOnline, Cardiff Council's public protection committee met to discuss the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday, March 13, with one member saying the update to the council's policy was "long overdue".
However, some councillors said that the updated policy suggested that hackney carriage drivers could only go to work if they had a working method of taking card payments, raising concerns that drivers with technical faults would be penalised.
The committee eventually agreed to the proposal, which will come into effect from September 1, despite attempts by two members to amend it.
Cardiff Council carried out a survey which asked members of the public and taxi drivers what they thought of the proposal.
Of the 252 taxi driver respondents, 42% thought there should not be a requirement to accept card payments; 33% thought there should; and 24% were unsure.
Of the 700 public respondents, 84% thought there should be a requirement to accept card payments.
Cllr Marc Palmer said the results show that "this is something that is needed and I think the way that people live their lives now... we need that contactless method."
His committee colleague, Cllr Sean Driscoll, said: "I am no fan of a cashless society, but... people who use taxis are clearly in favour of it and it gives people a choice.
"We are a capital city and we need to move with the times."
In the report put to committee members, it shows that one of the conditions considered in a 2022 report on card payments suggested that drivers must notify the council if there is a fault with their card payment system and that they should arrange a repair or replacement within 48 hours.
However, on review of the proposed conditions, the council stated: "The requirement to notify the Licensing Department within 48 hours of a fault may cause confusion as it is a requirement that the device is operational at all times."
Cllr Helen Gunter proposed an amendment, seconded by Cllr Jon Shimmin, that drivers would be required to notify the council within seven days if their card readers had a technical fault and that they should still be allowed to work during this time.
Cllr Gunter said she was "broadly in favour of the policy" but said the amendment was put forward to negate the risk of drivers losing out on business if they hadn't got a working card machine.
Cllr Shimmin pointed out that whilst some card readers could be fixed or replaced in a matter of days, people could be waiting up to five days for a replacement purchased online.
He added: "[With] other businesses you don't say to them 'your card reader isn't working, you have to stay at home'. It isn't fair to say that to taxi drivers."
Licensing team manager at Cardiff Council, Dan Cook, said the new requirement would reduce the need for customers to be dropped off next to cash points and improve their safety in such circumstances if this was at night time.
He also said: "As fewer and fewer customers are carrying wallets and cards... we have received comments that customers preferred to use private hire vehicles."
He also said there were a number of card readers on the market that had fail safes built into them, like the ability for people to use smart phones as card readers and an option for customers to be sent a text message to facilitate a payment through their phones.
On the proposed amendment, Mr Cook added that it would be "very difficult" to enforce a condition to report a technical failure with a card reader and correct it within a set time frame.
He said it would be "unenforceable" if the condition was set to seven days.
Source: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/taxi-drivers-cardiff-required-take-28825684
A taxi driver in Crewe was racially abused by a passenger, Cheshire Police say.
Officers have now released a CCTV image of a woman they would like to speak to.
CheshireLive reports that the incident occurred at approximately 3.20am on Sunday, February 4, while the taxi driver was in the Hawthorn Grove area of Crewe.
During the incident, it is believed that a woman made racially aggravated comments towards the victim.
Police Constable Chris Robinson-Stott said: “We take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and will not tolerate hate crime within our community.
“Enquiries in relation to this incident have been ongoing and as part of the investigation I am now looking to speak to the woman featured in the CCTV image as I believe that she may hold vital information in relation to the investigation.
“I urge the woman, or anyone who recognises her, to contact the team here at Crewe on 101.”
Anyone with any information in relation to the incident, or anyone who recognises the woman in the CCTV image, is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 quoting IML 1749572.
Information can also be reported anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.
Four private hire drivers have been slapped with fines totalling over £6,000 for unlawfully soliciting fares at Henley Regatta.
The Bucks Free Press reports that Tahir Mehmood Awan, 53, from Maidenhead, admitted to illegally offering taxi services in Henley on June 30.
Mr Awan was brought before Oxford Magistrates’ Court on February 23, where it was revealed that he had claimed to be working a pre-booked job that fell through.
Awan, who was not licensed by the South Oxfordshire District Council, took the opportunity to transport another rider back to his hometown for cash.
At the hearing, Mr Awan explained: "I had taken the customer’s number incorrectly and couldn’t make contact with them, and as I was going back to Maidenhead I might as well earn some money."
Despite Mr Awan's reasons, his unlicensed operation was seen as a threat to public safety and a move that undermined legal taxi drivers.
The court considering his early guilty plea and personal means, fined him £310, along with a victim surcharge of £120 and costs of £1,100.
On the same day, Yassar Mahmood, 39, also from Maidenhead, faced similar charges referring back to July 1.
Despite initially disputing the claims, Mr Mahmood also pleaded guilty in court and was ordered to pay a total of £1,358.
A third defendant, Haroon Qayyum, 39, from High Wycombe, was convicted on February 23 in his absence.
The court heard how Mr Qayyum had instructed a "passenger" to pretend they had pre-booked his service, unaware that the "passenger" was a South Oxfordshire licensing officer.
Mr Qayyum was subsequently fined £660, with a victim surcharge of £264 and costs of £1,100.
Mohammed Siddeeque, 46, from Reading, also admitted to illicit operation and was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and £1,126 in costs.
In court, Mr Siddeeque said: "I had a clean driving licence and held licences with TfL, and both Reading and Fareham councils and had never had problems previously."
Cllr David Rouane expressed serious concerns over the safety of residents.
The Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council stated: "We take the safety of our residents very seriously and our officers work hard to make sure unlicensed taxis are stopped from operating in our district.
"For your safety, I cannot stress the importance of pre-booking private hire vehicles.
"Pre-booking means there is a record of the journey, the driver, and the vehicle used, so in the event of any problems, the driver and vehicle can be traced."
Source: https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/24182760.taxi-drivers-fined-unlawfully-soliciting-fares/
Councillors have approved a 30 per cent rise in taxi fares across the district of Warwick despite discomfort over such a large hike in one go.
Warwickshire World reports that Warwick District Council has not increased fares since 2014.
The current daytime rate – 6am until 10pm – is £3.40 for the first 700 yards, 20p per 100 yards after that and 10p per 30 seconds waiting.
It is 50 per cent higher for five or more passengers in the day or for fares between 10pm and 6am.
A third tariff for five or more passengers between 10pm and 6am is double the day rate.
National data compares local authorities based on the cost of a trip of two miles taken in daytime hours.
At £6, Warwick District is among the 50 cheapest areas nationally with all neighbouring councils charging more following reviews within the past two years.
That would increase to £7.65 from May 2024 under the new plan, making Warwick the second-most expensive council locally behind Coventry.
A consultation with operators showed all bar one respondent felt the fares needed to go up.
Almost half recommended a 40-50 per cent increase and almost a quarter said the rise needed to be between 30 and 40 per cent.
Many commented that the review had been left for too long which was echoed by Warwick District Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee.
The committee agreed to the changes with a note to council officers: “to make the reasons behind the increase clear in any communications on social media”.
The new fares will be advertised and if there are no objections they will come into effect from May but if there are, the council’s cabinet will consider them and come to a final decision, potentially delaying the rollout.
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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.
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