Taxi fares set to rise in Stafford Borough if you hail a cab

The maximum fare for a one mile trip in a Hackney carriage could go up by 20p, from £4.10 to £4.30, while a cost of a two mile ride could rise to £5.85 if the proposed changes go ahead.

Stafford Borough Council sets the maximum fares that drivers of Hackney carriages – cabs hailed in the street or from a taxi rank – can charge. And the authority has received a request from Stafford Taxi Association on behalf of its Hackney carriage drivers for a fare rise.

Cabinet members considered the request at their meeting on Thursday. The proposed charges will now be advertised and are set to come into force as soon as possible, subject to any objections.

Councillor Mike Smith, cabinet member for resources, said: “The fares have not been reviewed since 2014. What is being put forward is what has been agreed with the taxi owners.

“The current (two mile) fare for Tariff 1 is £5.50 in Stafford, whereas the national average is £5.95. If this goes through it will still only be £5.85 in Stafford Borough – the increases are around five per cent, which is not a lot since 2014.”

A report to the cabinet meeting said: “Since (2014) there has been a significant increase in the price of fuel and other operational costs, including insurance and maintenance that are associated with running a Hackney Carriage vehicle.

“Taxi fares are a maximum and in principle are open to downward negotiation between passenger and driver – although at ranks or for on-street hailings this could result in confrontation or unreasonable customer expectations.

“In order to assess the application for a fare increase officers have carried out a fare comparison exercise with neighbouring authorities. The comparison with other neighbouring councils shows that with the proposed fares Stafford will be placed as third highest, however East Staffordshire Borough Council have stated they will be looking at their fares next year and Stoke on Trent are also imminent for review.”

In November 2019 Tamworth had the highest maximum fare in Staffordshire for a two-mile Tariff 1 journey, with drivers allowed to charge up to £6.10. The lowest in the county was £5.10 in South Staffordshire, but Stoke on Trent’s maximum was just £4.95 and the level in Cannock Chase was £5.70.

The changes in Stafford Borough will mean a five mile journey’s maximum cost would go up by 60p, from £10.20 to £10.80. The increases apply to journeys taken between 7am and midnight, while the starting rate for Tariff 2 – which covers the period between midnight and 7am – will remain unchanged but the mileage charge will go up by 10p

Passengers would pay 50 per cent extra if they use a Hackney carriage on Bank Holidays or after 6pm Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve – going up to 100 per cent for journeys taken from 11pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve or during Christmas Day, Boxing Day until 7am on December 27 and New Year’s Day.

There would also be a waiting time charge of 20p per 40 second period and a £60 charge if a passenger soils the cab.