Decision details

Members are being asked to approve a proposed increase of 1.6% to the existing Table of Hackney Carriage Fares subject to a statutory consultation as set out in Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

The Committee received a report from the Licensing, Policy & Administration Team Leader regarding a request to increase the Hackney Carriage Table of Fares

A member of the public asked a question as set out below.

Mr Wratten raised the following points:

i.          The Table of Fares percentage increase was in accordance with Transport for London Fare increase which the Licensing Committee had previously agreed was the correct method to increase hackney carriage fares by.

ii.          Had not requested that starting tariffs were increased, the increase was to apply to distances only.  

The Licensing & Enforcement Manager drew Members attention to the fact that if no significant issues were raised during the consultation then the decision would not be brought back to Licensing Committee and the fare increase would come into effect on the 19 September 2016.

The Committee then debated the Officer’s report.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

i.     Commented that the 1.6% increase seemed excessive, his customers had commented that taxi fares in Cambridge were more expensive than London. Asked how the 1.6% increase was calculated as petrol had gone down in price.

    iii.       Asked what comparisons had been done with other authorities as only London had been mentioned.

   iv.       Asked if the quoted distance fare increase was correct as the quoted reduction of 181 to 179 was different to the increases contained within the tables on pages 257 and 263 of the agenda pack.

In response to Members’ questions the Licensing & Enforcement Manager and Mr Wratten said the following:

i.     With regards to the 1.6% fare increase, Members were referred to paragraph 3.1 to 3.3 of the Officer’s report which stated that ‘the Licensing Committee at its meeting on 30^th January 2012, determined that any future amendment to the Table of Fares would be calculated using the percentage increase as calculated by Transport for London. CCLT’s letter, stated that the trade indicated that a similar increase was given to London Hackney Carriages this year and wished to use this as the agreed method for a fare increase in Cambridge. Transport for London (TfL) applied an increase of fares of 1.6% in 2016’. A 1.6% increase would reduce the travelling distance from 181 to 179.

     i.        As the Licensing Committee did not have their own policy it was agreed in 2012 to follow the percentage increases as calculated by Transport for London. Other local authorities had not been considered as the Licensing Committee agreed in 2012 to use this method to calculate the Hackney Carriage Table of Fare increases.

    ii.        Confirmed that the tables included within the agenda pack contained the incorrect figures and that the quoted figures for distance fares should be from 181 to 179.

The Committee:

Resolved (by 6 votes to 0)

     i.        To vary the existing Table of Fares from 181 to 179, with effect from 19th September 2016, subject to the statutory consultation process.