July 12, 2008
Black cab prices set to rise in city
People wanting to catch a cab in Norwich could soon have to pay more after black-cab bosses admitted they were looking to increase fares in the light of rising fuel costs.
As the Evening News reported last month, taxi bosses in Norwich warned they might have to put up fares if the price of petrol continued to rocket.
And now the Norwich Hackney Trade Association has applied to Norwich City Council proposing increases of 20p and 40p on fares.
The decision to put forward the increases was made at an open meeting held by the association, to which all Hackney trade members were invited, as a matter of emergency because of the rising costs of fuel.
While private-hire firms can put up their fares at any time, Hackney carriage bosses must apply to do so through the council, which usually happens every April.
The Norwich association is applying for an early increase, based on last year's inflation rate.
The Hackney taxi drivers are asking for an increase of 20p on tariff one and two journeys, 40p on tariff three and four journeys.
Tariff one refers to the day rate, tariff two the evening rate, tariff three Sundays and nights, tariff four Christmas and New Year.
The increases mean a two-mile journey, which at the moment under tariff one costs £5.80, would increase to £6, tariff two would jump from £6.20 to £6.40, tariff three from £6.20 to £6.60 and tariff four from £9 to £9.40.
Steve Rush, chairman of the association, said: “It is very difficult for drivers to try to recoup their losses with the way fuel has been increasing. Other transport firms including buses and trains have all put their fares up. All we are asking for is an earlier-than-normal rise to help us catch up what we have lost with the cost of fuel.”
The price of a litre of diesel in the UK has risen by about 25pc in the last three months from under £1 to about £1.25 a litre.
In June we reported how Mark Streeter, owner of Courtesy Taxis in Norwich, said it was costing drivers an extra £20 to £30 a week to fill up which was forcing some private-hire firms to put up prices.
The average price of diesel shot up 6.76 pence per litre last month to 124.17 while the average price of petrol has risen to 112.55p per litre from 108.06p.
Patrick Keenaghan, a Norwich Hackney cab driver, said: “My weekly fuel costs have gone up by half over a few months, so something does need to be done, although I would have rather waited for a few months and then had a meeting to discuss fare increases.”
The new fare proposals are set to be discussed by Norwich City Council's regulatory committee on Tuesday.
If the fare increase is approved, a public notice will be issued detailing the proposed fares and subject to no objection being received, the new fares will then come into operation.
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