20/02/20

Taxi fares in Cardiff could increase if a proposal by Dragon Taxis gets the go-ahead.

The proposed changes in the cost to travel in a Hackney Carriage Taxi using a meter will be discussed by Cabinet at their meeting today (February 20.)

Dragon Taxi's application to modify the fares involve the following proposals:

• For the first 103 yards of a journey, customers would be charged an addition 10 pence, taking the cost from £2.50 up to £2.60
• Twenty pence will then be charged for each subsequent 185 yards of the journey, instead of 195 yards, which is the current arrangement
• The time that the additional £1 is charged to a journey is proposed to change from midnight to 6am, to 10pm until 6am.

The last increase in the costs of fares took place in March 2018.

The application by Dragon Taxis is above the rate of inflation since the previous increase, but the trade argue that their operating costs over this period have increased significantly.

The AA Fuel Price Report shows that the cost of diesel has increased in Wales from 122.3p per litre in March 2018 to 129.7p per litre in November 2019, which is an increase of 6%

Unleaded 95 Octane petrol has also increased by 5% during the same period from 119.3p per litre to 125.4p per litre.

During the same period of time, the Hackney Carriage Vehicle License has increased from £154 per year to £160 but the fee for a three year Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Driver License has decreased from £100 to £89 which is a reduction of 11%.

Based on a two-mile journey, Cardiff currently lies 141^stin a league table of the most expensive place to get a taxi in the UK out of 369 counties, cities and airports.

Under the proposal, the new fare would increase Cardiff's position in the league table to between 81^stand 103^rd, which would still make prices cheaper than cities such as Exeter, Swindon, Bath and London.

Based on the proposal, between the hours of 6am and 9.59pm, a two mile journey would increase from £6.10 to £6.40, which is an increase of 4.92%. A five mile journey would increase from £11.50 to £12, which is an increase of 4.35% and a 10 mile journey would increase from £20.50 to £21.60 which is an increase of 5.37%.

Due to the additional £1 charge being introduced two hours earlier that the current arrangement, a 2 mile journey at 10pm however, which currently costs £6.10 would rise to £7.40, which is an increase of just over 21%.

If the Cabinet approve the increase in fares, the variation in the tariff will be advertised for 14 days to give the opportunity for people to object. If no objections are received, it is anticipated that the new fares would start on 1 April.

If objections are received, the objections would have to be considered by Cabinet before any changes to the tariffs are made.

If the Cabinet report is approved to go out for public consultation, any objections to the price increases can be made in writing to Cardiff Council's Licensing Department, City Hall, Cardiff, CF10 3ND, or via email, through   licensing@cardiff.gov.uk.