Taxi fare rise – despite objections from drivers

A bid to increase taxi fares in Sunderland is set to go ahead, despite opposition from some drivers.

In recent months, Sunderland’s Hackney Carriage Operators’ Association (SHCOA) applied to the city council to increase fees.

Under a hackney carriage licence, drivers can take on both pre-booked work and be flagged down from customers.

In Sunderland, drivers have to operate under a council fare structure which sets the maximum fee that can be charged for set distances.

New proposals aimed to increase fares by 2.9% on average with rises of between 20p to 60p for certain journeys.

On Monday, Sunderland City Council’s Regulatory Committee heard several licensed hackney drivers had objected to the changes.

And a 41-signature petition submitted to licensing bosses claimed the fee changes could damage the taxi trade.

Michael Young, speaking on behalf of objectors, told the meeting: “Speaking to our customers who are regulars they say if there’s any increase at all we’re going to lose more trade.

“It might not during the day when there’s footfall, but on the evening there’s nothing and a lot of independents work on the evening.”

A report prepared for the committee said representatives of independent hackney carriage operators in Sunderland and Washington supported the plans.

Councillors also heard that the changes in Sunderland were comparable to other taxi fares across the North East.

Trevor Hines, speaking on behalf of SHCOA at the meeting, said taxi fares were an “emotive subject” and that he understood concerns.

Since the last Sunderland increase came into force in April 2018, he explained, taxi drivers were facing increasing costs to keep their cars on the road.

Following discussion, the proposal was passed by a vote of 8-1 with a sole objection from Coun Steven Bewick.

The council will now consult on the bid for two weeks before changes can come into force.

However, the changes will not apply to private hire firms that set their own fare structures.