Taxi driver Roger Woodland is unhappy at the way in which South Somerset District Council has handled the increase of rates for drivers.
The Western Gazette reports that the owner of a Crewkerne taxi company fears firms could be put out of business after the district council hiked vehicle fees.
South Somerset District Council has increased the cost of a one-year badge for hackney and private hire drivers to £160, up from £53. A three-year badge has gone up from £80 to £260, while a three-year private operators licence now costs £820, having previously cost just £85.
Meanwhile, the amount to be paid for operating a hackney vehicle has increased from £225 to £245, while an exam for taxi drivers’, known as The Knowledge, will now set you back £25 having previously been free.
Not all rates have been increased, however, with the rate for running a private hire vehicle down from £225 to £220.
Roger Woodland, owner of CR Taxis, said: “If this situation continues and SSDC continues to increase our licensing fees, there could be a significant number of operators going out of business.
“This will impact the services that are available to the public, will increase unemployment figures in the area and, rather than increase revenue return to the council, will have an adverse effect.
“We aim to provide a valuable service to the community and with a decrease in public service transport our services are in a lot of cases a necessity, particularly for the older generation. In order for us to remain in business and to be able to continue to be an asset to our community, we need to remain profitable.
“Comparing fees set by West Dorset Council, SSDC’s rates are a great deal higher. I find it difficult to understand how one council’s rates can differ so much from another, particularly when SSDC has a high number of licensed vehicles in its area.”
Mr Woodland also criticised the way that the change in fees was announced by the district council, claiming that the increases were published by the Western Gazette before the council told taxi firms themselves.
He added: “Recently when there was an issue regarding some taxis refusing to take fares from Neo nightclub in Yeovil, a blanket letter was sent to all licensed drivers in the area at significant cost to the council.
“These letters were even sent to private hire drivers, who would not be affected by such an incident, which was in my view a waste of money on the behalf of SSDC, but on a matter that is going to severely impact every driver in the area, they have decided to sneak it in within the Public Notices section of the Western Gazette.
“I believe this is an unfair way in which to put this across to its license holders. SSDC is assuming that every driver or operator within the area will actually see or read the notification. There has in my opinion been no consultation whatsoever on the matter.
“It is my belief that these changes are trying to be pushed through unopposed.”
The Western Gazette has contacted South Somerset District Council for a response.
Read more: http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/
