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Taxi drivers hit back at charge complaint
FLEETWOOD taxi firms have hit back at complaints over their fares. A town councillor called on drivers to stop charging extra at Christmas and New Year.
Coun Tom Dewhirst claimed there was no justification for it and the council is to look into the situation by getting more information from Wyre Council about tariffs.
But local taxi firms have said they already refuse to charge the full rates.
Coun Dewhirst said standing charges of 2 were added at the festive period on top of a higher tariff.
He said: "Taxi drivers would have you believe if they don't charge these they will lose their licences, but it's not so.
"During that period, petrol prices don't go up, beer prices don't go up, things in shops don't go up, newspapers don't go up – why do taxi drivers do this?"
The official 2 surcharge on Wyre Council tariffs applies from 6pm on December 24 to 7am on December 27 and between 6pm on December 31 and 7am on January 2.
Passengers also face a larger basic tariff at weekends, Bank Holidays and Christmas.
But John Hudson of the Fleetwood Cab Company said that while they used the higher tariff at Christmas, they applied a surcharge of only 1.40 and waived that for regular customers.
They refused to charge the higher tariff during the day at weekends.
He said: "Over the Christmas period it is reasonable for people to earn more but at weekends, no. Buses don't charge any more. The working week has changed. Long gone are the days where you worked Monday to Friday and weekends were for rest."
Ron Harper, who owns Fleetwood Taxis, runs the same lower tariffs as Fleetwood Cabs.
"It's extortionate," he said. "I think cabbies could put themselves out of business. Tom Dewhirst is right. I have said the same in the past."
Cabbie Roy Stephenson said: "For pensioners who use us regularly you always knock a bit off: you protect your regulars. Our best customers are older people who need a door-to-door service. They rely on us as much as we rely on them."
Another driver, Mike Deery said he didn't charge 20p for each extra passenger.
He said: "I think we are 10 to 15 per cent cheaper in Fleetwood than other areas. I think some of the council charges on Sunday are living in the past.
"I would freeze the tariffs now for the next three years.
"The problem is the recession – it's way too expensive for people."
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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