Executive report to discuss parity of hackney carriage fares across North Northamptonshire

08 September 2022

The harmonisation of hackney carriage fares across the North Northamptonshire Council area will be discussed by the authority’s Executive next week.

The proposal is to unify the maximum fare that can be charged across the area to a standard maximum of £6.80 for a two-mile journey.

The taxi cab trade had made representations to the council that an increase in fares was needed to ensure the increased costs of running the service were covered.

Alignment of fares is considered by the council to be important, so that all residents within North Northamptonshire will be subject to the same maximum fare, regardless of where they live or work.

Once set, the tariff is the maximum amount that can be charged by Hackney Carriage Operators for all journeys starting and ending in the prescribed geographical area.

Hackney carriage drivers can charge a lower fare than the maximum stated within the table of fares, but it is an offence to charge more.

We have engaged widely with the trade and elsewhere and have considered many approaches. I think what we have here achieves a good balance of a suitable increase, while establishing parity across the area.Cllr David Brackenbury, the council’s Executive Member for Growth and Regeneration

It was important to us to bring an equal maximum fare across the council area in the fairness to all of our residents and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work towards finalising this proposal.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council

Although the council became unitary on April 1, 2021, customers in each of the four zones - aligned to the previous sovereign council areas - have had to pay differing fares depending on which area they are travelling within.

The Licensing and Appeals Committee was asked to consider this at their meeting on May 9 and it was recommended that tariffs should be increased for each zone to a new harmonised fare structure based upon the Kettering tariff of fares.

If a harmonised approach is approved at the meeting there will be a 14-day public consultation on the new maximum fare tariff.