An increase in taxi fares across Bridgend county borough will come in to effect in September in a bid to help companies deal with the rising cost of fuel. It will be the first time in three years that fares have risen in the area, after council bosses agreed the first half-mile ‘flag rate’ can increase to 70p, following a formal request from the Bridgend County Hackney Association.
They also approved a request to increase the meter rate by 2p for every tenth of a mile, and to increase waiting charges from £15 to £20 per hour. The proposed increases will now be advertised with the aim of introducing them on September 26. Councillors in attendance at a cabinet meeting on July 20 approved the request after hearing that the number of licensed taxi vehicles in Bridgend county borough has fallen from 510 to 439, since the pandemic began.
Bridgend County Hackney Association chair Paul Pride said: "The last increase in fares was on January 14, 2019. Since then, the trade has endured the economic devastation of the pandemic.
