Drivers hit out at taxi licence fee rise

Taxi fees in Dudley are already more expensive than in neighbouring authorities

A rise in Dudley’s taxi licence fees already hundreds of pounds higher than neighbouring authorities has sparked a row between drivers and the council.

A 2.3% increase in charges has been approved by Dudley Council for the coming financial year.

But drivers say the service they get in return from the council is not good enough.

Council bosses however, say some of the issues faced are caused by drivers failing to supply correct licensing information.

Currently, a new three-year licence for a private hire taxi or Hackney Carriage in Dudley would set a driver back £475.

'Service is appalling'

The same licence costs £98 in Wolverhampton costs, £352 in Sandwell, and around £200 in Birmingham depending on the type of taxi.

Shaz Saleem, of Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, said: “I appreciate the council hasn’t put fees up for a number of years, but the service level is appalling.

“The fees are ridiculous, there is no service – I would like to know how they justify it.”

He said drivers were leaving the area as a result.

However, council leader Patrick Harley disputed this, and said: "It is complete and utter rubbish to suggest drivers are moving out of Dudley, in fact the opposite is true.

"We had 1,570 drivers licensed with us in January, which is 105 more than at the same time last year.”

Taxi drivers think some vehicle checks are unnecessary and expensive

But Mr Saleem said drivers are waiting too long for applications for licences and payments to be processed and that extra vehicle checks the council insists on are “unnecessary and expensive”.

He said: “No other council does this – it’s bonkers, they have no understanding of the taxi world.”

Mr Harley said council records showed that delays were often due to drivers not supplying the correct paperwork or disclosing the correct information, or failing their knowledge test or driving assessment.

He added: “I think the public would back us in making sure we are doing regular checks to make sure the vehicles they are travelling in are safe.

“In any case, the three-month checks are only for vehicles that are 10 years or older.”

At the council’s taxis committee meeting on Monday, councillors were told an increase was needed to make up for an £80,000 deficit in the taxi licensing budget.

Committee chairman Alan Hopwood, commented: “We need to use our money better, it beggars belief our prices are so much higher.”

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.