Barnsley Council agrees taxi fare increase
An extra 40 pence will be added onto the first mile
The cost of a taxi is set to increase in Barnsley- with operators now allowed to charge an extra 40p for the first mile.
It's after the Hackney Carriage association called for a change to bring charges in line with other private hire vehicles.
The association says the price hike would help towards the “significant rise” in fuel costs, running costs and insurance.
This means that the first mile of a journey will increase from £3.80 to £4.20, although it has not been made clear when the charges will come into effect.
Evening fares will also begin at 8pm rather than 11pm, to encourage drivers to work unsociable hours, and the “super rate” to begin at 1am, instead of 3am.
Councillor Tim Shepherd supports the increase, and said that the council had to consider the “viability of the town as a whole”.
“We want to drive this town forward, and part of driving this town forward would be to increase the night-time economy and increase the availability of taxis,” Coun Shepherd added.
Councillor Steve Hunt added: “The small number of comments received during the public consultation indicates to me that the residents on Barnsley aren’t particularly troubled about this increase.