Letter: Council Set To Agree ‘Huge’ Increases In Taxi Fares

Published on: 20 Mar, 2013
Updated on: 25 Jun, 2022

Guildford taxis

From Mark Rostron

Guildford Hackney Association

Huge taxi fare increases were recommended this January by Guildford Borough Council Licensing Committee and officers. They have also effectively fixed rates for as long as ten years.

Despite the efforts of the Guildford Hackney Association to moderate any new taxi fare chart and many hours of discussions, the council is stubbornly continuing towards the approval of the exorbitant increases at the next council executive meeting on March 28.

A proposed massive 30 per cent increase in day rates per mile will price customers out of taxis. An exorbitant 45 per cent increase in night rates per mile will lead to an increased temptation for drink driving and will put the vulnerable at risk of walking home late at night.

To further complicate matters, taxis won’t be able to charge a booking fee for private hire jobs to come to the customer, but private hire drivers will. This will create a two-tier system with customers asking for the cheaper hackney carriages, but those same carriages will be reluctant to pull off the taxi ranks and go to the customers’ homes or offices, because they won’t be able to charge the booking fee. Everyone will lose.

We’ve tried hard to get the council to see reason. Maybe Guildford residents will want to take this up with their councillors?

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