Online voices

STORY

Row over plans to raise taxi fares on all bank holidays in Sunderland.

Baz Winter: Tell you what why don’t you all just stay in on a weekend and bank holidays then there would be no customers so we wouldn’t have to work then maybe we could we would have that family time of time with our partners having a few drinks. Sorted.

Carol Brown: You have got to get a taxi first there's never any available.

Daryn Casey: Rise in petrol fairs and living has seen my prices rise. Would expect the same of any business. We don't work to make less.

Alison Else: Oh come on people these lads and lasses need to earn a living just like the rest of us. If you can't afford it get a bus which tbh costs a small fortune too.

Harry Trott-Dixon:

I worked every bank holiday and Christmas for over 25yrs or more so don't you think taxi drivers deserve to be paid extra for holidays and Christmas. The reason there is a shortage of taxis is there's not enough drivers, since covid most can earn more money driving for the likes of amazon and delivering hot food.

Patricia Baker: It’s already raised on a bank holiday as we rang for a price and was told it was dearer on a bank holiday to a normal day, so is this a rise again?

Bob Simpson: Lots of people work bank holidays but they don't get extra pay so why should taxi drivers.

Mi Cassidy: Never get taxis would rather walk, already an absolute rip off, £20 for a fair where the petrol would at max cost 80p.

Ni Todd: I worked throughout the pandemic, taxi drivers are worth every penny.

David Green: So council saying they can put the prices up on bank holidays, pure greed.

Lisa Burns: Does anyone even know what it costs for the taxis to keep going? Fuel prices? Rank layout? Taxi plate? Unless you know exactly what a driver is paying out weekly, then what’s the difference of the fares rising? We’ve all had a pay rise on wages, taxis are self employed!