Scarborough taxi fares set to rise

Scarborough Borough Council’s cabinet has agreed to a request from the Scarborough and District Taxi Association to increase prices.

The changes will now go out to a public consultation.

Under the request from the association, the average fare will increase at all times alongside a raft of other changes.

In a report which went before cabinet members, it noted that the cost of a journey between 6am and 9pm go up by an average of 10.7%. A one-mile mile journey would, therefore, cost £5.20 up from £4.80.

The proposal for 9pm to midnight could see an average rise of 22% on current fares. A one-mile journey would cost £5.60. From midnight to 6am the average rise requested is 13.7% and would see a one-mile fare increase to £6.

Cllr Bill Chatt said the change would apply to the so-called “white plate” taxi drivers, who are sole traders and don’t work out of a taxi office, instead they pick up fares from ranks.

He added: “They haven’t put their prices up for a long time.

“Without these [drivers] our area would be poorer because they are the ones who pick people up from the station and they are the first point of call people will see when they get out [of the train station].

“They are a very essential part of what we are trying to do in the borough.”

The cabinet report, written by the council’s environment and regulation manager Mark Heaton, noted that a number of other changes would be implemented.

He wrote: “Other amendments include an additional charge of £1 per passenger where more than four passengers are carried; to double the existing charge applied in respect of luggage, bicycles, pushchairs, dogs etc. to 20p per item; extending the definition of ‘Bank Holidays’ to include the bank holiday weekend i.e. Saturday, Sunday, Monday and annual Good Friday and to double the existing soiling charge from £40 to £80.”

Mr Heaton told the meeting that the association asked for a rise in fares in 2015 but it was rejected by the council’s licensing committee.