Last year, drivers who spoke to the ECHO said they were worried about costs and one criticised the council as out of touch
Wirral taxi drivers lined up near ASDA in Birkenhead(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Hackney carriage day rates could see a rise as a union representing taxi drivers issues a warning to Wirral Council ahead of a vote.
Unite the Union has put forward a proposal that would see some fares increase in the borough after the local authority kept rates the same in 2024. Rates for taxis during the day would see an increase with people paying £3 more for a ten-mile trip.
Night rates would stay largely the same with a slight increase for trips that are between three and four miles long. This is the same for bank holiday rates.
Christmas and New Year rates would also see an increase with costs going up by £1.20 for a one mile trip. A new charge for trips more than four miles beyond Wirral’s borders is also being brought in, starting at £7.70 for one mile while a £5 Liverpool drop off charge is scrapped.
Other charges include 30p for every minute left waiting, £1 for each animal unless it is an assistance dog, £5 for bulky items, and £35 fouling charge. If councillors decide to approve the changes put forward by Unite, it will go out for public consultation.
For a ten-mile trip, the proposals fees in Wirral are generally less expensive than Liverpool or St Helens. However, they are generally more expensive than Sefton, Knowsley, and Cheshire West and Chester Council.
The proposed rates will all be considered at a Regulatory and General Purposes committee on June 4. In a letter published by the council ahead of the meeting, Unite the Union criticised the council for making a decision over taxi fares last year with no consultation with drivers.
Some drivers felt the decision to keep day rates the same was an effective pay cut. Last year, drivers who spoke to the ECHO said they were worried about costs and one criticised the council as out of touch.
According to the union, Wirral has around 140 hackney carriage drivers with around 85% of those working only during the day. Unite also claimed 20mph speed limits had an impact on earnings as fewer fares could be completed in a shift.
The union said the council’s decision last year appeared to ignore their concerns, adding: “We feel this is a slap in the face to the taxi trade.” The union questioned whether there was any point in calling a branch meeting to discuss the issues for the council to then go against this due to objections arguing the previous fares were “totally unworkable.”
The union said: “This is not democracy in any sense of the word. This has angered the drivers. Many are now talking about leaving the trade and driving private hire vehicles as the operating costs are considerably lower and there are no highly expensive replacement vehicles to worry about.
“Moreover, it is a simple process to get a Wolverhampton badge and plate the same week, and it is all much cheaper than Wirral. However, I feel there is an opportunity to put this right and hopefully grow the hackney fleet to a healthy level.”
In the letter, the union also raised other issues, claiming councillors lacked knowledge of the trade and called on the council to recognise Unite the Union as the representatives for hackney drivers. The union said any proposal put forward by them had to have majority support amongst their members.
The Unite representative said: “There have been objectors to my knowledge to every fare increase for the last 38 years. However drivers and it generally is drivers who make objections should be requested to attend the meeting and explain through factual evidence why the objection should stand. Just having an opinion that is not based on fact should be dismissed.
“I have witnessed satellite drivers driving hackney carriages who operate without the meter, object to fare increases but then run on a higher rate. We feel drivers working private hire systems operating on different tariffs should not be taken seriously when making an objection.
“What appears to be absent from weighing up the value and credibility of any objection are the individual objectors’ financial circumstances. For example, is the objection coming from a driver who has an occupational pension or an additional source of income perhaps additional employment and the cab is just extra income to pay for holidays etc.
“Compare that against a driver who has a mortgage, cab payments and mouths to feed and desperately needs an increase to survive. This needs serious consideration.”
At the same meeting, councillors are also expected to review whether to bring in a reduced registration fee for temporary tattoo artists and cosmetic piercings. A review of private hire operator conditions is also taking place.