Taxi drivers may quit over licence costs - union

Drivers in Lewes and Eastbourne are facing rises of 50% in their licence fees from 1 April

Taxi drivers in Lewes and Eastbourne may have no choice but to leave the industry after licensing fees were increased by 50% with some additional charges up by 66%, a union representative has said.

James Kiernan, a Lewes taxi driver of almost 25 years and the Unite union rep for Lewes and Eastbourne, said drivers would think twice about renewing their licences.

Councillors at Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council voted last week to bring in the new fees from 1 April, but customer fares have not increased since 2021.

In a joint statement, the councils said increases were approved to address budget pressures related to taxi licensing, increased CCTV data control costs and, in Lewes, work to reduce a backlog in new applications.

A driver's licence will increase by £60 a year, from £120.75 to £181.13, while a vehicle license will rise by more than £100, from £205.50 to £308.50.

The English language test retake fee has gone up by 66%, from £68.25 to £113.20.

Fares on the other hand have not gone up since 2021.

Drivers applied to the councils for a fare increase last summer but said they were still waiting for the council to launch a public consultation into any proposed changes.

Mr Kiernan said drivers would struggle to absorb hundreds of pounds of additional fees so soon after spending about £700 to install CCTV in their vehicles after both councils made it mandatory.

He said: "We've certainly got a handful of drivers that I know of who are already looking for work before their licences run out.

"Vulnerable people won't be able to get a taxi, won't be able to get their lifts to the shops, to the town, to stations."

"The department needs to explain itself as to why it costs so much to run that department, because it's a lot of money. We would like to see it audited."

In a joint statement, Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council said the increased fees had been approved "following full consideration of multiple factors".

It continued: "These are being introduced to address budget pressures related to taxis in our roles as licensing authorities, and to cover the increased operational costs associated with CCTV data control.

"Additionally in Lewes district, they will fund extra resources to reduce a backlog in new applications, ensuring a more efficient service for the future."

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