Licensing and Regulatory Committee

 

13 June 2023

Report of the Director – Environment, Transport and Planning

 

Hackney Carriage Fares

 

Summary

 

1.           This report asks Members to determine a request from the Hackney Carriage Associations with regards to the maximum fares to be paid in respect of the hire of a City of York licensed hackney carriage vehicles.  This request relates to a variation of the table of fares. 

 

Recommendations

 

2.      Members are asked to determine the request for the variation of the table of fares from City of York’s Hackney Carriage Associations.  

 

         Reason:  To determine the table of fares that will apply to charges in respect of the hire of City of York’s licensed hackney carriage vehicles.

 

Background

 

3.      Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 (1976 Act) allows the Council to fix the rates of fares within its area, and all other charges in connection with the hire of a vehicle or with the arrangements for the hire of a vehicle, by means of a “table of fares”.  The Council can only fix the rates of fares in relation to hackney carriage vehicles. 

 

4.      There is also provision within the 1976 Act that the Council may vary the table of fares. 

 

5.      The current table of fares, more commonly known as the fare chart, was fixed by the Council in July 2022. This followed a request from the Hackney Carriage Associations for a temporary variation to the fares by way of a journey fuel surcharge due to the current economic situation, changes with cost of living and unprecedented increase in fuel prices. A review date for this temporary surcharge was set to January 2023.      The table of the current fares can be found at Annex 1.   

 

6.      The current City of York’s table of fares covers five tariffs, which include distance and waiting time:

·        Standards charges 

o   Tariff 1 – day time 7am – 10pm

o   Tariff 2 – night time 10pm – 7am

o   Tariff 3 – race days (to and from the racecourse only)

·        Premium rates – Christmas and New Year

o   Tariff 4 – day time 7am – 10pm

o   Tariff 5 – night time 10pm – 7am

         It also covers extras, which includes additional charges for:

·        Bank Holidays

·        Cats and dogs (excluding assistant dogs)

·        Each item of luggage carried in the boot

·        Fouling of the vehicle interior

 

7.      The Council determines whether to vary the table of fares upon receipt of a request from the Hackney Carriage Associations (Associations).  There are currently three Associations representing City of York hackney carriage trade, it is a requirement of the Council that all three Associations must agree to make the request. 

 

8.      At the beginning of the calendar year, when the relevant RPI Transport Indices figures are published by the Office for National Statistics, the Council provides the Associations with the results of hackney carriage fare inflation calculations.  This calculation take into account the:

a)   Inflation figures

b)   Fuel annual percentage inflation figures

c)   Vehicle maintenance annual percentage inflation figures

d)   Vehicle insurance annual percentage inflation figures

         Upon receipt of this information the Associations determine if they are going to submit a request to the Council to vary the table of fares, providing details of how they would like the variations to be applied. 

 

9.      The results of the inflation calculations over the last four years have shown the following percentage increases:

        

         December 2018 – December 2019          -        2.91%

         December 2019 – December 2020          -        0.99%

         December 2020 – December 2021          -        9.62%

         December 2021 – December 2022          -      10.97%

 

10.    As stated above the current table of fares was fixed by the Council in 2022. The Associations did not submit a request to the Council to vary the tariffs on the fare chart in 2022, however the request was made for the temporary surcharge to each journey which was implemented in July 2022.  The Association did submit a request to the Council to vary the fares in February 2021, the request was agreed by the Council and implemented in September 2021.   The proposed table of fares can be found at Annex 2.

 

Consultation

 

12.    The Associations have consulted their members prior to submitting the request to vary the table of fares. 

 

13.    It is a legal requirement of the 1976 Act that when the Council makes or varies a table of fares, that they publish in at least one local newspaper circulating in the district a notice setting out the table of fares, or the variations.  The notice must give a specified period, of not less than 14 days, within which objections can be made. 

 

14.    If no objections to the table of fares or the variation are received the table of fares or the variations shall come into operations on the date of the expiration of the period specified in the notice.

 

15.    In the event that objections are received, and they are not withdrawn, the report and any outstanding objections would be referred to committee for consideration. The Council shall set a further date, no later than two months after the first specified date, on which the table of fares shall come into force with or without modifications as decided by the Council after consideration of the objections. 

 

Options

 

16.    Option 1 – ask officers to publish in a local newspaper the variation to the table of fares proposed by the Hackney Carriage Associations, giving a specified period of 14 days within which objections can be made. If no objections are received or if so received are withdrawn then the new fares will be implemented on the date specified in the advert.      

 

17.    Option 2 – determine an alternative variation to the table of fares, and ask officer to publish in a local newspaper the variation to the table of fares determined by Members, giving a specified period of 14 days within which objections can be made.     

 

18.    Option 3  - reject the request from the Hackney Carriage Associations to vary the table of fares. 

 

Analysis

 

19.    The comparisons in the current and proposed table of fares are detailed in the table below (distance is shown in metres):

         

Current Table of Fares

Proposed Table of Fares  

  Standard Charges

Additional

Standard Charges

Additional

Tariff 1

£3.00

157.8 yards

144.29 metres

39.8 seconds

20p

168.2 yards

153.8 metres

42.4 seconds

 

Tariff 1

£3.40

215.8 yards

197.3 metres

56.4 seconds

20p

144.8 yards

132.4 metres

37.9 seconds

 

Tariff 2

£3.90

77.6 yards

70.96 metres

19.3 seconds

As above

Tariff 2

£4.40

124.0 yards

113.4 metres

32.2 seconds

As above

Tariff 3

£6.00

1066 yards

974.75 metres

4 mins 27.6 seconds

As above

Tariff 3

£6.20

313.0 yards

286.2 metres

81.8 seconds

As above

Premium Rates

Additional

Premium Rates

Additional

Tariff 4

£4.50

157.8 yards

144.29 metres

39.8 seconds

30p

168.2 yards

153.8 metres

42.4 seconds

Tariff 4

£5.10

215.8 yards

197.3 metres

56.4 seconds

30p

144.8 yards

132.4 metres

37.9 seconds

Tariff 5

£5.85

77.6 yards

70.96 metres

19.3 seconds

As above

Tariff 5

£6.60

124.0 yards

113.4 metres

32.2 seconds

As above

 

20.    On the current table of fares the ‘Extras’ include:-

 

          The extra charge for children between the age of 3 – 12 years of age.

The extra charge for animals (cats and dogs) carried.

          The proposed table to fares requests that these ‘Extra’ is removed.

          This has been agreed with the Associations.  

         

          The extra charge for each item of luggage carried in the boot be amended from 20p to 50p per item with a maximum charge being £1.00

          The charge for the 3rd and 4th passenger in the vehicle be changed from 40p to 50p (no charge for children under 12).

          The fouling charge (for alcohol induced fouling or, in all cases,) be increased from £75 to £90 across all tariffs. 

          Standard bank holiday remains the same Standard charge +£2.00

 

21.    Fare comparisons of journeys with regards to distance travelled can be found at Annex 3.  

 

Council Priorities

 

22.    The taxi licensing functions undertaken by the Council are statutory, supporting the new and existing trade, as well as local residents and visitors.  Through these functions, the policy supports the Council’s Plan of a good quality of life for everyone.

 

Implications

 

23.    The direct implications arising from this report are:

 

(a)  Financial – There are no financial implications. 

 

(b)  Human Resources (HR) - There are no HR implications.

 

(c)  Equalities –There may be an equalities impact in that many people with a disability use a taxi as their main method of transport. There will be an increase in price, but it risks drivers leaving the industry unless its implemented.

 

(d)  Legal – Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 (1976 Act) grants the Council the power to fix and vary the maximum rates of fares charged for hire of a Hackney Carriage. Section 65 of the 1976 Act sets out the procedure to be followed to vary the table of fares and this is set out in the paragraph titled Consultation in body of the report.

 

(e)  Crime and Disorder – There are no crime and disorder implications.

 

(f)    Information Technology (IT) - There are no IT implications.

 

(g)  Property - There are no property implications.

 

(h)  Other - There are no other implications.

 

Risk Management

 

24.    There are no known risks associated with this report.

 

Contact Details

 

Author:

Chief Officer Responsible for the report:

David Cowley

Taxi Licensing Manager

01904 552422

 

 

James Gilchrist

Director Environment, Transport and Planning

 

Report Approved

√

Date

05.06.2023

Specialist Implications Officer(s) 

 

Wards Affected: 

All

√

 

For further information please contact the author of the report

 

Annexes

 

Annex 1 – Current Table of Fares   

Annex 2 – Proposed Table of Fares

Annex 3 – Fare Comparisons of Journeys