Coventry taxi fares increase agreed by council

Coventry's taxi drivers' opinion is divided over the fare rise, which will be introduced from 1 August

Taxi fares will rise this summer in Coventry despite a split in opinion among drivers.

Councillors approved the hike from August, the first time hackney cab prices have risen since 2014.

More than 40% of drivers support the rise over a third say prices should be the same, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

"It doesn't matter what we do, we're going to upset some people," councillor Patricia Hetherton said.

The change will see the city's black cabs' daytime tariffs of £3.80, up from the current rate of £2.80, with the cost of each additional tenth of a mile rising by 5p to 30p.

'Shatter black cab trade'

A council report published ahead of the approval said the increase will mean the city's hackney cabs will be the eighth costliest to use in the country.

Drivers were divided over the benefits and drawbacks of a fare rise, a council consultation revealed.

One driver said they wanted higher rates as "fuel prices are very high".

Another said, with the cost of living on the rise, they felt an increase in fares "is justified".

However, others feared it would put potential passengers off especially with competition from private vehicle hire apps like Uber and Ola.

"Any increase in price will shatter the black cab trade completely - the cabs should be priced competitively so it can keep up," one driver responded.