Taxi fare increase likely

Taxi fares in the Newark area could go up by more than 6% to cover the rising cost of fuel.

Newark and Sherwood District Council general purposes and licensing committee met yesterday to consider the increase.

In the last year the cost of petrol has gone up 23% and diesel 31%.

It is costing taxi firms around 4p a mile more per journey.

Passengers currently pay £1.59 a mile after the first mile travelled. A 6.26% increase would take that figure up to £1.69 a mile.

The idea drew a mixed reaction from taxi firms.

Mr Dick Hopewell, the owner of Dick’s Taxi’s, of The Crescent, Newark, said the increase was needed and supported the review of prices by the council. He said there should be an annual review.

Mr Hopewell provides a taxi for disabled people and said he had no choice other than to have a diesel vehicle because five-seater taxis did not come in electric or gas-powered models.

“We had a rise last year that has been taken up again by the price of fuel,” he said.

“If there is another increase, we are back to square one again.”

Mr Hopewell said the last increase took around six months to implement, so he hoped it would be quicker this time if it was agreed.

Mr Jose Andrade, the owner of Elite cars private hire, of Levellers Way, Newark, agreed that an increase was needed.

He said he believed customers would understand why prices had gone up.

“People are always looking for as good a deal as they can have,” he said.

“But we have got to face the reality that it doesn’t seem as though fuel prices are going to come down in the near future.”

Mr Andrew Smalley, of Railway Court, Newark, who runs Andi’s Taxis, disagreed.

He said that even though higher fuel costs cut into profits, he did not support a rise in taxi fares.

Mr Smalley, who has been a taxi driver for 16 years, said that in the last couple of weeks he had spent more on fuel than ever before.

“But I think the prices as they are now are the maximum that they can really charge,” he said.

“I don’t really think an increase is the way forward because it does seem to slow business down a lot.”

Mr Smalley said taxis were already expensive in Newark and people could live without them.

When money was tight, he said people would not use them.

“People have only so much money to spend,” he said.

“I think a rise would make it worse. It’s a bit of a quick fix. It has a massive negative long-term effect.”