Taxi drivers urge council to agree 8% fare hike

The proposed rises in North Tyneside Hackney Carriage Association (NTHCA) have urged the council to approve an increase in fares, resulting in an average cost per mile of £5.52 for a three-mile journey.

Labour councillor John O'Shea said he wanted to look at a more 'balanced arrangement, not the 8% that has been suggested' as residents in North Tyneside were 'suffering as well with the cost of living'.

The NTHCA's main reason for the request was due to high fuel prices and vehicle parts soaring in costs.

Extra charges, including fines for car theft, have been proposed to rise from £125 to £130, and charges for dogs and other animals, except service dogs, to rise from £3 to £4, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors have voiced concerns about the proposed hike, particularly regarding North Tyneside's elderly residents.

O'Shea said: 'I just don't think we have got the right balance. I notice that the taxi trade has had significant uplifts in fuel and insurance and things like that, so they've been suffering for a little while.'

He added there were 'residents in North Tyneside who have been suffering as well with the cost of living'.

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The proposed rises in North Tyneside Hackney Carriage Association (NTHCA) have urged the council to approve an increase in fares, resulting in an average cost per mile of £5.52 for a three-mile journey.

Labour councillor John O'Shea said he wanted to look at a more 'balanced arrangement, not the 8% that has been suggested' as residents in North Tyneside were 'suffering as well with the cost of living'.

The NTHCA's main reason for the request was due to high fuel prices and vehicle parts soaring in costs.

Extra charges, including fines for car theft, have been proposed to rise from £125 to £130, and charges for dogs and other animals, except service dogs, to rise from £3 to £4, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors have voiced concerns about the proposed hike, particularly regarding North Tyneside's elderly residents.

O'Shea said: 'I just don't think we have got the right balance. I notice that the taxi trade has had significant uplifts in fuel and insurance and things like that, so they've been suffering for a little while.'

He added there were 'residents in North Tyneside who have been suffering as well with the cost of living'.

• The proposed rises apply to hackney carriages, which can be hailed on the street or at a taxi rank and not vehicles that can be pre-booked.

Follow BBC North East on X, external, Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external and listen to Radio Newcastle on BBC Sounds.

The proposed rises in North Tyneside Hackney Carriage Association (NTHCA) have urged the council to approve an increase in fares, resulting in an average cost per mile of £5.52 for a three-mile journey.

Labour councillor John O'Shea said he wanted to look at a more 'balanced arrangement, not the 8% that has been suggested' as residents in North Tyneside were 'suffering as well with the cost of living'.

The NTHCA's main reason for the request was due to high fuel prices and vehicle parts soaring in costs.

Extra charges, including fines for car theft, have been proposed to rise from £125 to £130, and charges for dogs and other animals, except service dogs, to rise from £3 to £4, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors have voiced concerns about the proposed hike, particularly regarding North Tyneside's elderly residents.

O'Shea said: 'I just don't think we have got the right balance. I notice that the taxi trade has had significant uplifts in fuel and insurance and things like that, so they've been suffering for a little while.'

He added there were 'residents in North Tyneside who have been suffering as well with the cost of living'.

• The proposed rises apply to hackney carriages, which can be hailed on the street or at a taxi rank and not vehicles that can be pre-booked.