The public is being asked for its views on proposals by The Highland Council to increase the cost of all fares, regardless of the distance travelled by 30p.
It is also proposed that the charge applied to compensate for the cost of the outward journey for hires which commence 3 miles or more away from the taxi or taxi base (whichever is the nearer) and where the customer wishes to travel further away be increased from a maximum of ��6.50 to a maximum of ��7.50.
The proposal is part of the review by The Highland Licensing Committee of the scale of maximum taxi fares in the Highlands. The public have until Tuesday 11 March to have their say. Responses will be reported to the Council's Highland Licensing Committee on Tuesday 1 April with a proposed implementation date of midnight on Monday 26 May.
In reviewing the fares, the Council has taken into account increases in the costs of operating taxis, such as rising diesel, petrol and overall vehicle running costs.
Councillor Maxine Smith, Convener of the Highland Licensing Committee, said: "The Committee has 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, she said, were entitled to charge any fare, provided it did not exceed the maximum provided for in the tariff.
Full report at
http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/DAB0ECB9-15EE-46CE-9494-3F7219B88577/0/HLC00414.pdf