Taxi fares in half of Cumbria could be standardised following the shake-up of council boundaries.
Until April, 2023, Cumbria comprised six district councils, each with responsibility for environmental health, leisure and licensing, as well as a county council which oversaw housing, transport and education.
This meant that fares would vary between the six neighbouring authorities. It also restricted availability because taxi drivers could only pick up fares in the area in which they were licensed.
Boundary changes
But in 2023, the district and county councils were replaced by two unitary local authorities – Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council – each taking on the responsibilities of the former district councils and county council.
As it reorganises services and responsibilities, Cumberland Council is currently considering the results of a consultation which would see the introduction of a single set of taxi fares for the area. The new standard fares would apply to journeys taken entirely within the boundary of Cumberland, as well as journeys “ending outside the boundary of Cumberland where no fare or rate of fare is agreed in advance of such journey between hirer and driver”.
Cumbria Crack reports that if approved, the new Hackney carriage fares would be introduced from April 1 under three proposed tariffs.
Proposed tariffs
Tariff one (6am to 11pm) is set at £4 for the first mile, followed by 22p for the next 1/10th of a mile or uncompleted part.
Tariff two (11pm to 6am) adds 50% of the tariff one rate which would also be applied from 6pm on the Friday before Christmas (commonly known as Mad Friday) to 6am the following day.
The proposed tariff three adds 75% of the tariff one rate for all bank holidays and from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on December 27, as well as 6pm on New Year’s Eve to 6am on January 2.
The fares for waiting times are 35p per minute and 50p for each adult in excess of four.
There are also proposed cleaning costs which include a maximum £100 soiling fee.
Consultation
The consultation was launched in December, with January 8 being the deadline for people to have their say.
Cllr Bob Kelly, portfolio holder for licensing and regulatory services, said: “We want to consider as many views from the public as possible.”
He said the council would only consider views submitted officially via the consultation portal and not proposals circulating in the media and on social media.
The council’s regulatory committee will meet on January 31 to consider feedback from the consultation before a decision is made.
If agreed, the changes will make it easier for taxi drivers and passengers travelling between towns within the Cumberland area. This is a logical step, especially as it gives drivers the freedom to operate in areas were they were previously prohibited from picking up fares.
Since the reorganisation, there have been calls to merge the two unitary authorities into a single body with devolved power with an elected mayor, which would further cut the amount of red tape and for taxis, and create a single set of regulations which would apply to the entire region.
In this way, Cumbria can be seen as a snapshot of what is involved in the introduction of national taxi standards.