iStockCouncillors are to consider hiking taxi fares across the city next Monday after a consultation on higher prices concluded.
If approved, the changes would see the city have the 13th most expensive taxi fares in the UK, level with Glasgow. Currently, a report by officers says it stands at 19th.
Survey work carried out by consultancy firm Jacobs supported proposals raised in March, which would see a range of changes to taxi fares.
The cost of dropping off or picking up passengers at Edinburgh Airport would increase from £6 to £7, as long as the journey price is greater than this.
Passengers can still ask to be picked up or dropped off at the airport’s free pick up and drop off area, which is located further from the terminal.
Charges for pre-booking a taxi anywhere in the city would go from 80p to £1, while the price for a cancelled ride would go from £2.20 to £3.00.
Fares would also increase by 5% over their current levels, in order to account for inflation since they were last adjusted about a year and a half ago.
This means that a two mile trip during the daytime period would go from £9.00 to £9.30, and for the nighttime period would go from £10.20 to £10.50.
And for a five mile trip, the price would go from £17.40 to £18.00 during daytime, and £18.60 to £19.20 during nighttime.
Increases would also apply to the higher fare rates charged during the festive period.
Further, it is proposed that the extra passenger charge, applied for rides with more than three passengers, go from 40p to 50p.
No change would be made for the financial penalty of soiling a taxi – when one must be pulled from service for cleaning – which sits at £50.
Fares for private hire cars are not controlled by the council, and as such are not subject to the review.
Additionally, most private hire trips to and from the airport arrive and depart from a separate area where the rates for the paid pick up and drop off area do not apply.
Councillors voted on March 16 to launch the consultation, which was advertised in the Edinburgh Evening News on April 8.
Interested parties were asked to submit representations by May 8. The proposed fares were also opened to consultation on the council’s website.
According to the report by officers, 19 consultation responses were received, of which about 55% were ‘broadly positive’ and about 40% negative.
Officers state ‘there is insufficient material therein’ the consultation responses to not go ahead with the fare hike.
If councillors vote to approve the fare hike, the new rates would come in from June 9, giving time for a 14-day statutory objection period to run.
Taxi operators would be able to lodge objections to the new fare tariffs during that window.
Operators, either individually or as a group, would be able to raise an objection to the new fares.
Prior to the consultation getting underway, various taxi firms signalled they were supportive of the new fares.
The fares advertised by the council represent the maximum taxis can charge – however, operators are free to charge less if they wish.
Most of the consultation responses were short, with many accounting to one word, including ‘fair’, ‘good’, and ‘happy’.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
