Shropshire taxi drivers angry over licence fee rise

Bosses at Shropshire Council want to bring in a raft of higher licence charges for hackney carriage and private hire vehicles, with some fees set to rise by up to 26 per cent.

A consultation has been launched, with the changes due to come into effect on November 1.

But local taxi drivers have questioned where the extra income would end up.

Matt Young, the owner of Shrewsbury Taxi Service based in Bellstone, said: "If the increase means we get a better service then fair enough, but we get such an appalling level of service at present that it does make you question why we should be paying any more money towards licences.

"It's very rare you can get hold of them nowadays – everything is being done by appointment – and they took away our direct telephone contacts so we now have to go through a central number which is always busy.

"The issue here is where is that extra money going to go? If they're going to use it to pay for a licensing officer to walk the streets of a Friday and Saturday night and educate drivers and ask private hire vehicles to prove they have a booking when close to a taxi rank, then brilliant.

"We don't feel as though we're getting anything back from the service at present – and we're not having a go at the licensing team because they do their best with the limited resources available."

The changes would see the cost of a one year driver's badge go from £166 to £204 – a 23 per cent rise – and a three year driver's badge renewal increase by 26 per cent, from £136 to £172.

It comes as funds generated by the council through licensing fell from £726,043 in 2011/12 to £673,059 in 2012/13 – the equivalent of 7.2 per cent.

But Shirley Gibson, who has run Wem Travel for the past 20 years, said: "I don't agree with this planned increase at all.

"The council is hard enough to get hold of now anyway and they never focus on the real issues such as cracking down on taxis operating illegally."

Shropshire Council has said the move is essential to prevent further job losses within the authority.

It has urged people to make their opinions known by noon on October 30.