Fuel prices see taxi fares go up in West Berkshire

Taxi fares in West Berkshire have increased.

The maximum cost of a two-mile journey will go up from £7.40 to £8.

Councillors approved a request from the trade to help with rising fuel costs.

West Berkshire Council’s executive agreed to consult on a new set of fees for taxis to help drivers to cover rising fuel costs.

With fuel prices rising by around 35 per cent, a consultation was held on July 14-18 to get views from local people on the proposed price increase.

The district council reviews the tariffs every year.

The current fees have been in place since November 2021 but due to the steep increase in fuel costs this year’s review is taking place a little earlier than planned.

At the time the current fares came into operation petrol cost around £1.47 a litre and diesel £1.50 per litre. Since then the cost of fuel has increased to around £1.90 a litre for petrol and diesel around £2 per litre.

“The taxi trade provide an invaluable service including our most vulnerable residents,” said Tom Marino, (Con, Tilehurst and Purley), West Berkshire’s executive member for internal governance and strategic partnerships.

"We need to ensure that a balance is struck between ensuring that the taxi business remains economically viable in light of increasing costs while protecting the public from excessive fares, and I feel that the consultation has achieved that balance."

The fares do not apply to private hire vehicles, which can set their own fees, which can only be pre-booked and are not allowed to pick up passengers from ranks, nor can they be hailed in the street.