Falkirk Council: Festive period taxi fares could rise to encourage drivers to work

The taxi trade want higher tariffs at the festive period to encourage more drivers to work. Pic: Contributed

Next week’s meeting of the local authority’s executive will discuss proposals to update taxi fares, which last rose in September 2022 in response to concerns over rising fuel costs.

And while general fares look set to remain steady, calls have been made to increase the festive fares – and to more than double the penalty charge for soiling a taxi.

Falkirk Council has consulted members of the local taxi forum, which represents members of the trade, about what changes are now considered necessary.

Its members were not in favour of any increase in the taxi tariff but they have proposed a change to how public holidays are treated.

They would like to see additional charges for most public holidays removed entirely, so it would no longer be more expensive to get a taxi on Easter, May Day, Falkirk Trades Fair, and the Falkirk September holiday.

However, they would like to see a higher charge for Christmas and New Year public holidays, introducing a new rate of time and a half.

The taxi forum has told the council it is getting increasingly difficult to get drivers to operate during the festive period and they feel the suggested changes would encourage people to work.

If agreed, the dates and times of the revised tariff would be from 9pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on December 27, and from 9pm on December 31 to 6 am on January 3.

Other proposals being put forward by the forum are increasing the soiling charge to £100, as the current charge of £40 does not cover the cost of a vehicle being valeted and does not take into account loss of income when a car is off the road to be cleaned.

The forum is also suggesting that a £5 charge be introduced for larger capacity vehicles that have been engaged for more than four passengers or for large items such as luggage/ golf clubs.

The forum says that the cost of running larger vehicles is making such journeys uneconomic.

This charge would not apply to wheelchair users.

If the proposals are approved by the executive, members of the public and businesses would then have an opportunity to comment.

If comments are received, a further report would be brought back to the Executive for members to discuss.