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.
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"We have record increases in the cost of fuel resulting in a weekly cost of between £30-£60, and now the country is facing a cost of living crisis never witnessed in our lifetime. Several councils in south Wales have already implemented emergency increases to help combat the financial crisis faced by taxi drivers, and we ask that the council acts promptly and passes this emergency application."
Councillor Rhys Good added: "Across the whole of the UK, we are all feeling the squeeze of the cost of living crisis, and it is important that we recognise the increase in costs associated with running a cab. As a council, we have to ensure that a balance can be struck which is fair to our taxi drivers, but does not deter the public from using licenced vehicles, and I think that given the circumstances, this request is completely understandable and appropriate." You can read more of our stories from Bridgend here.
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