Taxi fare increase

Western Isles Council has been overrule over a 25% taxi fares increase.

About a third of island taxi drivers urged the council to put up the cost of a hire.

But many of same people later appealed against the price hike.

Stornoway-based taxi firm, STS, slammed the move, saying: “A 25% rise is immoral, unjustifiable and counter-productive to sustaining a fragile business operating in a fragile economy."

The traffic commissioner, Joan Aitken, reversed the council's decision and criticised its limited consultation.

Council ordered to stop 25% taxi fare increase

4 June 2015

She highlighted: "What is now apparent is that many of the 34 signatories to that initial consultation proposal became unhappy with what they themselves had proposed.

"I have to wonder if they gave any serious thought to what they were signing."

The Traffic Commissioner considered three appeals.

She ruled: "My decision will be that the status quo will prevail - that is the current fares scales will continue to apply in the council's area.

"Given that fuel costs have come down, I do not consider that this status quo decision will cause hardship to the operators and drivers pending a further review by the council.

"I think that there is a real risk that if I confirmed the council's new fares scales a situation would arise which did not serve anyone well.”

Stornoway Taxi and Courier Service and 24/7 Taxis appealed the price rise including a petition signed by 35 drivers and operators.

The council is legally obliged to review fares and to consult with the 89 taxi operators in the Western Isles.

Many taxi firms vowed to freeze fares as they are not compelled to make price rises.

A total of 42 responses from taxi drivers were made to the initial council consultation. Eight wished fares to remain unchanged while 34 people desired fares be altered.

A significant number of taxi operators initially wanted to increase daytime weekday fares by around a quarter.

Weekend and overnight taxi users would have seen no change as fares would stay the same from Friday midnight until 7am Mondays.

In effect, the present weekend rate would have become the norm - with a single flat rate charged all the time apart from public holidays.

The council is entitled to start a fresh consultation.

A council spokesman said: “The Traffic Commissioner acknowledges that the situation is “largely of the appellants’ making” as their points were raised at such a late stage and states that it would not be appropriate for her to substitute a decision as the council have not had an opportunity to consider all of the points.

“The council will examine the findings in detail and consider its options.”