Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Development and Safety

RESOLVED THAT

1. the revised methodology and proposed maximum fare increase for hackney carriages be approved; and

2. authority be delegated to the Licensing Team Leader to carry out the necessary advertising requirements to comply with section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976; and

3. Subject to there being no substantive amendments being made following consultation, authority be delegated to the Director of Environment to adopt the proposed fares.

The Cabinet Member Development and Safety introduced the report and explained that Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 permitted the council to set the maximum fares for hackney carriage vehicles licensed by it.  He explained that the last hackney carriage fare review was undertaken in 2017 when Cabinet approved a 6% increase based on the council’s adopted fare formula.

The Cabinet Member reported that a further review of hackney carriage fares had been undertaken and this report sought approval from Cabinet to revise the current fare table for hackney carriage vehicles as outlined in Appendix 2. He highlighted that the trade had informally requested that the proposed increase be reflected in the initial “flag fall” rather than adjusting the time and/or distance calculations. This would in effect discourage shorter journeys. In November 2018, the council consulted with the public hire trade on proposed revised methodologies for calculating hackney carriage fares in Cheltenham. The council received no responses to this consultation.

RESOLVED THAT

1. the revised methodology and proposed maximum fare increase for hackney carriages be approved; and

2. authority be delegated to the Licensing Team Leader to carry out the necessary advertising requirements to comply with section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976; and

3. Subject to there being no substantive amendments being made following consultation, authority be delegated to the Director of Environment to adopt the proposed fares.