TAXI fares are set to be aligned across North Yorkshire under plans for the new unitary council.
Ahead of the launch of North Yorkshire Council on April 1, senior councillors will meet next week to discuss plans to align the maximum fares which drivers of hackney carriage vehicles can charge in the county.
A new policy needs to be adopted for the launch of the new council - providing a uniform approach to the charges for fares across the county.
Currently, the existing seven borough and district councils in North Yorkshire set their own hackney carriage fares that are the maximum a customer can be charged.
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But ahead of the new council being the sole licensing authority North Yorkshire County Council’s (NYCC) decision-making executive will be asked to endorse a single set of fares for the county.
NYCC’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said: “We need to ensure all businesses, residents and visitors across North Yorkshire are subject to the same maximum fare, regardless of where they live, work or visit.
“The setting of taxi fares is a statutory duty for the licensing authority and our aim is to strike a balance between setting a fare that is acceptable to the customer and to the taxi driver, and not create confusion by varied fares in the licensed area.
“The proposed fares are the maximum hackney carriage drivers can charge. They can, of course, charge a lower fare, should they wish to do so.”
The proposed fares are based on the maximum fare that is currently in place for Harrogate and Selby.
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Under the proposed tariff, a two-mile journey within North Yorkshire would cost a maximum of £7.40 between 6am and midnight.
A maximum soiling charge of £100 – should a vehicle need to be cleaned – has also been set to align with the current charges in Richmondshire, Craven and Ryedale.
If approved by the county council’s executive on Tuesday next week (January 24), the proposed fares will be subject to a statutory 14-day period for people to share their views.
Once a tariff of fares has been set, a driver cannot charge more to passengers than the charge shown on the meter apart from in certain exceptional circumstance, such as where a journey ends outside of the council area and a fee has been agreed in advance.
Private hire vehicles set their own fares and cannot be regulated by the licensing authority, so customers should agree the fare before the journey commences.
Further information, and a full breakdown of the proposed fares, can be found in the executive report and accompanying appendix, and can be accessed via NYCC's website under 'Agenda for Executive on Tuesday, 24th January, 2023, 11.00 am.'
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