Taxi fares in Harrogate set to rise for first time in two years with 3% price hike from December

Taxi passengers in Harrogate are set to face rising fares next month after cabbies called on the council for more support during the pandemic.

Harrogate Borough Council and the district's drivers have agreed on a proposed 3% price hike which is likely to come into force on December 1 - followed by a rise for Christmas and New Year when starting rates will increase from £6.60 to £6.80.

It is the first fare increase for two years and comes after drivers were denied a boost to their meters at the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

Cabbies have warned the trade has "suffered immensely" during the last seven months and have now given a cautious welcome to the planned price hike with hopes that journeys will pick back up over the festive season.

However, Kevin O’Boyle, owner of Central Taxis and the longest holder of a taxi license in the district, said the uncertainty around lockdown restrictions means the future for drivers is still looking "very, very grim."

"The situation for some drivers is so bad that unless they are claiming benefits, they can not earn enough to survive," he said. "There are drivers who have never come back since the first lockdown March - we have just not seen them again.

"In terms of the fare increase, yes we would like more but in the present climate it is the best we can expect. If people think we are going to make a fortune off it - they need to think again."

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Under the proposed increases, starting charges will increase by 10p to £3.40 during the day and from £4.95 to £5.10 at night.

The 3% rise will be added to the running mile and waiting time - with passengers paying around £2 per mile.

According to a league table by trade magazine Private Hire Monthly, the proposed changes would put Harrogate in joint 17th place with Chelmsford, Dartford and Guernsey as the most expensive places in the UK to get picked up.

The setting of fares is a statutory duty placed upon Harrogate Borough Council which uses a formula to calculate how prices should be set, using vehicles costs, parts and labour, fuel and cost of living to give a final figure.

A council spokesman said: “We are required to strike a balance between setting a fare that is acceptable to the customer and the taxi driver. Therefore, a rise in the maximum hackney carriage fares of 10p on the flag fall and 3 per cent on the running mile has been proposed.

“These fares are the maximum a driver may charge and they may charge less if they wish.”

The council is running a consultation on the proposed changes and comments must be made by letter or e-mail by November 19.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter