Clydebank Post | News | Fuel costs force rise in taxi fares

Monday, 8th September, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 11th June, 2008 10:30

Fuel costs force rise in taxi fares

By Andrea Fraser

TAXI drivers have been given the greenlight to raise their fares to combat spiralling fuel costs.

As part of an annual review of fares, drivers in Clydebank asked to put up the charges because of the unpredictable and increasing price of petrol and diesel.

Both Clydebank Taxi Trade Association (CTTA) and Clydebank Public Hire Association (CPHA) put forward different proposals for a new scale for fares.

At a meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council’s Licensing Committee, John Green, from CPHA, said: “Our figures are based not on greed but fear.

“We are aware that we are looking at a very difficult situation with the rising fuel costs which show no signs of rebating.

“Unfortunately I cannot look into the future and see what things will be like — but we all have mortgages and bills to pay.”

CPHA asked for a 50p rise on the flag fall — the initial charge when you get in a taxi — and then a further 10p increase on the running mile.

CTTA’s submission was to have no increase on the flag fall and have a 20p increase on the running mile with the exception of tariff three — Christmas and New Year — which would go up 30p.

However, Douglas Millar, from CTTA, said that when he proposed the fare increase in April, fuel costs had escalated 24 per cent but now he claims it has rocketed 34 per cent.

He said: “As far as we can see the only way to get the money back is to put it on miles travelled. The flag fall is cosmetic.

“On a Sunday the majority of people rely on taxis to go anywhere.

“Those who would have to pay the 50p flag fall being proposed would be pensioners going to church.”

Council officers had tabled a compromise, but given the continued increase in fuel prices, councillor Ronnie McColl (SNP) tabled his own, for a 20p increase on flag fall, 20p on the running mile and 30p on running mile for tariff three.

However, councillor Craig McLaughlin (SNP) asked if it would be possible to create a system where fares increase in line with fuel costs.

He said: “I think the main difficulty facing the trade is fuel cost.

“People going on extended journeys are the ones that are costing the most.

“When we are in circumstances like this we should propose looking at some way of linking the fares to the fuel prices.”

Members agreed councillor McColl’s motion and also to see if it was possible to link fare increases to fuel costs.

A report will come back to the committee in six months to see if it is possible to implement the system.

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