Council agrees new taxi fares for South Oxfordshire

South Oxfordshire District Council has agreed new Hackney carriage fares for the district this month.

The new tariff sets a maximum hackney carriage fare and also outlines the time periods for when different costs apply. As a maximum tariff, drivers can choose to charge passengers a lower rate if they wish.

Setting tariffs is a standard practice across the country and something the council, as the licensing authority, is empowered to do by law. It is also an important part of protecting the public’s interests by ensuring consistent and transparent rates.

The new tariff only applies to Hackney carriage taxis and for their journeys within the district. It does not apply to private hire taxis, which people book in advance. It has been calculated using a robust, tried and tested method – called the Guildford Method. The method applied by South Oxfordshire also uses information relevant to the district –including average salaries and the costs associated with running a taxi – to ensure the tariff is fair.

The new tariff was unanimously agreed at Cabinet on Thursday 18 April. The report to Cabinet also included details of all the feedback the council received during the taxi tariff consultation, which ran from 31 January to 19 February 2024.

Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council and Cabinet Member for Licensing and Community Safety, said: “Setting a tariff helps ensure our residents have total clarity on the maximum they can be charged for a journey. There’s a difficult balance to strike to ensure we’re being fair to people who use taxis during a cost-of-living crisis – particularly those who have no choice but to use taxis, and helping ensure taxi drivers are able to earn a decent living.”

The full report to Cabinet can be found here.