Getting a taxi in Blackpool is about to cost more as councillors approve new fare increases
‘Just to keep the wheels turning costs more and more each year’
Blackpool taxi passengers will soon be paying more for their journeys after councillors approved a rise in fares in response to economic pressures.
Starting fares across all tariffs are affected and will see a 30p increase with the average working out at around 4.28%.
However tariff 2 will see a ten per cent increase.
Councillors at Blackpool Council’s meeting of Public Protection Sub-Committee approved the rises which had been put forward by Blackpool Taxi Association.
They asked the council to consider changes to be made to both the yardage and maximum tariffs.
Under the new pricing structure, a journey on tariff one will start at £2.90 instead of £2.60.
The reduction in yardage means the 20p cost per 160 yards would be reduced to 152 yards. So passengers can expect slightly less distance for their money.
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Neil Charnock of the BTA said: “As everybody knows who owns a vehicle , just to keep the wheels turning costs more and more each year.
“When you factor in increases in fuel costs, cost of replacing modern vehicles, insurance increases, cost increases in taxi licensing, vehicle testing, garage repairs, it’s inevitable that fares will increase.
“To keep vehicles safe and roadworthy and passenger safety at the forefront , we need to ask the council to increase fares.
“The fare increases seems a reasonable increase to help owners and drivers keep pace with costs we all have to bear.”
The last time the sub-committee approved fare increases was in February 2024 and involved wholesale changes to the fare structure.
In the council report it stated the committee had heard from members of the Blackpool Taxi Association who highlighted the cost increases across the trade and confirmed the majority of the membership were in favour of the increase - along with support from non members who had been asked informally.
Councillors considered this year’s increase a reasonable one in view of the circumstances and particularly that this would be the first increase in two years.
The proposals will be advertised and if there are no objection, the fare rises will be implemented by the council.