The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report asking the Committee to consider whether to approve and recommend an increase in hackney carriage fares.  The following documents were attached to the report:

Appendix I-   Current and proposed table of fares

Appendix II-  Letter from the chair Reading Taxi Association

Appendix II-  National fares table

The report explained that from time to time the hackney carriage trade requested that the Council increase the amount they could charge their customers for transportation to their desired destinations.  The most recent request had been considered by the Licensing Applications Sub-Committee 3 at its meeting held on 6 February 2020 (Minute 21 refers), when a reduction in the yardage for daytime fares to 133 yards had been agreed.  There had been no increase in fare for the night-time tariff.  The report also noted that the current charge available to drivers if a customer soiled the taxi was £40 for the inside and £10 for the exterior.  These charges had not changed for many years and did not reflect the clean-up costs and time lost by drivers.

The report added that the chair of the Reading Taxi Association (RTA) had written to the licensing section requesting the fare rise and a change to the cost for cleaning their taxis when customers had soiled the taxi.  The proposal was to increase the flag drop by £1.00 on both daytime and night-time tariffs, an increase from £2.60 to £3.60 for the Day tariff and from £3.60 to £4.60 for the Night-time tariff.  The Flag Drop was the standard hire fare a customer would pay before commencing their journey and included the first 300 yards (274.32 meters) or 2 minutes 36 seconds of the journey.  The proposal also included an increase in soiling charges to £70 for inside the taxi and £25 for the outside of the taxi.

Asif Rashid, representing the RTA, and drivers Chris Avery, Asad Sheikh and Imran Ali attended the meeting and addressed the Committee on this item.  Correspondence from drivers, relating to the proposed increase and the process by which it had been submitted to the Council, had also been circulated to members of the Committee.

Resolved –

(1)      That the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection be recommended to implement an increase of £1 in the flag-drop for both daytime and night-time tariffs, subject to no objections being received as a result of advertising the proposed increase in a local newspaper;

(2)      That any objections received during the consultation be reported to a future meeting of the Committee for consideration;

(3)      That the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection be recommended to implement an increase in the soiling charge for cleaning taxis to £70 for inside the taxi and £25 for the outside of the taxi.