Taxi drivers welcome fares aiming for 'balance'

Ian Vaudin says taxi drivers need an incentive to enter the business

Taxi drivers in Guernsey say they are in support of a 4.75% increase to the maximum fares.

The Committee for Environment and Infrastructure made the decision following a public consultation, from which it received 13 responses.

It rejected a proposal to increase drivers' tariffs on Friday evenings between 19:00 and 22:00, and during the day on Saturdays and Sundays.

The fare increases follow a rise last year of 7.67%.

'Give drivers the right reward'

The 4.75% increase follows a 7.67% increase in 2023

Owner and driver of Donkey Taxis Ian Vaudin said he was disappointed that the fare increase was not accompanied by a change in tariff structure, but that "it's close enough".

He said: "Driving a taxi, especially at night, is not always easy, and you need to give people the right reward for actually coming into the industry."

He said increases in the cost of living and of running a taxi were reasons why the increase was "acceptable".

Mr Vaudin was in support of a change in weekend tariffs, rejected by Environment and Infrastructure, which he said could "revolutionise" the taxi industry.

He said: "I'm really struggling to take on a part-time driver to work at the weekends, and the change in tariff would have made it much more attractive to enter the industry.

"If they can drive for a restaurant doing deliveries and get the same remuneration, they're going to do that because it's easier.

"You're always happy to see your pizza arrive at your door, but are you really happy to be delivered yourself and pay the price?"

'It goes up, we lose customers'

Peter Leigh drives one of eight accessible taxis for wheelchair users

While accessible taxi driver Peter Leigh said he supported the maximum fare increase, he added that he did not want to increase his own fares as some of his customers could not afford to go out.

He said: "Every time it increases, we lose a few customers."

Unlike Mr Vaudin, Mr Leigh disagreed with the proposal to increase tariffs on Friday evenings and Saturdays and Sundays during the day, which he said "would have been disastrous".

As a taxi driver for wheelchair users, he said "to charge time-and-a-half for people who might only be able to go out at the weekends to see their families. It's just wrong".

Mr Leigh said Environment and Infrastructure's decision to reject the proposal was "a win for the public of Guernsey".

'Service has to be fair'

Deputy Adrian Gabriel said the public should consider buses as an alternative to a taxi

Deputy Adrian Gabriel, Vice President of Environment and Infrastructure, said the committee took into account costs of running a taxi, the cost of living and "a basket of expenses".

He said: "It's about making a balance. The service has to be fair to the taxi drivers and to the travelling public as well."

He said the committee rejected the proposal to increase weekend tariffs after receiving responses to the consultation, as the Guernsey Taxi Drivers Association had been in favour.

He said: "We didn't want to leave vulnerable people out in the later evening and early morning if the supply of taxis dried up, with more drivers working in the daytime."