Taxi fare hikes agreed

Taxi fares set to rise

TAXI fares in Ross-shire are set to increase next month - barring any late appeals against a decision taken this week.

The fare hikes, councillors say, have been agreed to take account of operators' own rising fuel and insurance costs.

Highland Council's transport environmental and community services committee has confirmed a new scale of maximum taxi fares in the Highlands.

If there are no appeals against the decision, the increases will take effect from Monday, June 27.

In reviewing the fares for the first time in 18 months, the Council has taken into account increases in the costs of operating taxis, such as rising diesel, petrol and insurance premiums.

Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the TEC services committee, said the Council exercised a balancing function in setting taxi fares between the expectations of taxi operators to earn a living against the public expectation to be able to hire a taxi of reasonable quality at a reasonable price.

Operators, he said, were entitled to charge any fare, provided it did not exceed the maximum provided for in the tariff.

In summary the general effect of the amendments proposed are as follows:

Tariff 1: The cost of the first mile will rise from £3.20p to £3.30p, each subsequent mile will rise from £1.30p to £1.40p.

Tariff 2: applies on Good Friday, Easter Monday and May Day and between 10 pm and 7 am on any day, all day on Saturday and Sunday and when 5 or more passengers are being carried at any time of day or night): The cost of the first mile will rise from £4.30 to £4.40, each subsequent mile will rise from £1.80 to £1.90.

Tariff 3: applies on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and January 2. It also applies when 5 or more passengers are being carried between 10 pm and 7 am, all day on Saturday and Sunday and on Good Friday, Easter Monday and May Day. Tariff 3 may be applied all day on Saturday where there are 5 or more passengers being carried.

A maximum charge of £60 is payable by an offending passenger, where a vehicle requires to be removed from service for cleaning in order for it to be restored to a usable state and condition.