Angus is going down the road of a double-digit taxi fares rise.
Under plans approved on Thursday, consultation will now begin on a move to raise the daytime tariff 50p to £4.90 for the first mile – an increase of 11%.
Other daytime rates for longer distances would rise 8 to 10%.
Evening tariffs would go up 7 to 9%, including from £5.50 to £6 for the first mile.
It comes as the operator of one of the area’s biggest taxi firms pressed the case for an increase.
‘Massive’ decline in Angus taxi trade
Neil Gibson of Lorimer Cabs in Montrose said no increase would drive cabbies’ pay below the living wage.
But the issue continues to split the trade after other operators said a hike would ‘kill’ the trade locally.
Mr Gibson told Angus Civic Licensing Committee the situation for individual drivers and operators like him was vastly different.
“The bottom line is that without revenue and without profit, there’s no taxi companies,” he said.
“The decline in the service in Angus has been absolutely massive.
“I had to turn off my phone for 13 minutes last night and I missed 28 calls.
“There is no way I could have kept up with that demand – but the public expect me to.
“I couldn’t because of a lack of drivers and a lack of vehicles.”
The cost of repairs has rocketed. He also said he needs to do £1,000 in extra business a week to meet the increase in the national minimum wage.
“The only way the taxis can survive is if that cost is paid by the customers.”
He added: “I understand operators that think they are going to lose business.
“In the last 10 years I’ve never had a customer complain about the price of taxis.
“The only complaint I’ve had is that they can’t get them.
“Drivers can only do so many runs in an hour.
“If they’re not allowed to charge something that allows them to make the living wage or national minimum wage, then the council is actually supporting people working below that to provide a service to the public.”
Forfar operator Wendy Foreman told the committee: “Nobody wants to do the job.
“No-one wants to work till two or three in the morning on a Saturday night because there’s no taxis.”
Committee votes on taxi fare increase
Councillor Kenny Braes said: “I’ve done the sums and there’s no way I’d be investing in a taxi business because I can’t make them stack up.”
He said the proposed fares were the maximum tariffs which Angus taxis could charge. It would remain open to any driver to peg fares at a lower rate.
However, council leader George Meechan backed no increase after four responses to the committee favoured the status quo.
The committee voted 6-2 in favour of an increase. The proposals will now be advertised for further comment.
Conversation