Taxi fares could rise by 10% to combat fuel costs

Taxi fares could rise by 10% in order to help drivers combat a rise in fuel costs.

Somerset Council has suggested the changes for all hackney carriages, defined as vehicles with eight or fewer seats which are hired at taxi ranks, hailed down or booked in advance.

Under the plans, a maximum standard tariff would increase from £4.60 to £5.06 for the first mile, with each additional tenth of a mile increasing from 30p to 33p.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, of Somerset Council, said the proposed changes "seek to balance the rising costs faced by drivers with the need to keep fares fair for passengers." She said: "Individual taxi businesses remain free to set their rates below those levels."

As the licensing authority, Somerset Council has the power to set the maximum fares which can be charged through a published table of fares.

The current maximum fares were introduced in May 2024 and the latest proposed changes come after a survey of licensed hackney carriage proprietors, which found 59% of respondents supported some form of increase.

Smith-Roberts added: "Under the legal process for setting hackney carriage fares, the council must consider any objections received before a final decision is made.

"If no objections are received, the proposed table of fares will take effect automatically."

Under the proposed changes, the maximum waiting time charge would increase from £1.00 to £1.10 for every completed two minutes.

A discretionary maximum booking fee of up to £10 for pre-booked journeys could also be introduced to encourage drivers to accept bookings in rural areas.

People can share their opinions on the proposed table of fares on Somerset Council's website.

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