Spelthorne Borough Council Licensing

Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines-Upon-Thames TW18 1XB

Tel: 01483 444295

Hackney Carriage Fare Review 2024 – Trade Consultation

Overview

Spelthorne Borough Council licenses and regulates taxi and private hire services in the Borough. As part of this we set the maximum fares which taxis (Hackney Carriages) can charge. These fares should reflect the costs of operating a taxi in Spelthorne, against what it is reasonable for the public to pay for the service.

We seek to consult with the trade on the below questions.

Please read the questionnaire and take the time to complete it. The higher response rate will ensure that the views of the trade are taken into account when calculating the fares. It is also important to provide as much detail and evidence as possible with your response such as copies of receipts and journey records in order to substantiate any figures given.

Consultation

Please participate constructively in this consultation and let us know your views by 17:00 on the 10 June 2024. Anonymous responses or historical submissions will not be considered.

The responses to this consultation will be considered and taken into account when deciding what changes should be made to taxi fares and tariffs.

Any responses may be published by the Council.

Any enquiries about this consultation can be made to the Licensing Team.

Section 1: Figures used to Calculate Fares

The table below shows the annual average mileage, annual average salary and annual average cost figures used to calculate the current fares. Please use the space provided in order to make any comment on these figures for this years review. Comments can include views on what the figure should be, or if the figure should not be included.

Please provide as much evidence as possible in order to justify your comments and substantiate any figures given, for example if you spend £600 on tyres per year, record this figure and provide a copy of the receipt. Figures provided without supporting evidence cannot be considered.

Item	Comments for 2024 Fares
Annual average salary for Spelthorne	The average salary in Spelthorne is £38,577, according to figures published by the ONS for 2023
The average annual mileage for a Spelthorne taxi	Average mileage is: 13430.5 miles
The amount of mileage without a fare paying passenger
The amount of mileage with a fare paying passenger
The average mileage travelled for each fare paying journey in Spelthorne
The average number of journeys travelled with a fare paying passenger
Dead mileage* rate
Annual vehicle depreciation
Purchase price of vehicle
Annual cost of insurance
Cost of Road Tax
Average breakdown cover
Average cost of fuel per litre over past 12 months, plus an additional 5 pence	148.70 pence
Annual cost of tyres
Annual service labour costs
Annual cost of replacement parts
Annual cost of parking and tolls
Annual Hackney Carriage Licence fee	£242
Vehicle test fees – MOT	£54.85
Driver Licence fee (pro rata)	£193 or £431
Cost of providing a roof sign and meter
Cost of card payment terminal (per year)	If you are not using one please indicate this On average how many people are paying via card out of 10 journeys?

* Dead mileage is defined as the percentage of the distance that is travelled without a fare paying passenger aboard. It does not include any distance travelled on a fare where the meter is not used (for example a school contract or airport run), any distance travelled in the vehicle for personal (social, domestic, pleasure) use, or distance travelled to and from home to work.

Section 2 – Proposals for 2020 Review

We are pleased to hear views from the trade on the inclusion or removal of any costs associated with running a vehicle or amending the times affecting the tariff. Please use the space below to make any suggestions, for example other costs associated with running a taxi in Spelthorne which you would like included in the fare calculator.

Please make any comments in the section below and include as much evidence as possible in order to justify your comments. Figures provided without supporting evidence cannot be considered.

Section 4 – Consultee Details

Please note that anonymous responses will not be considered.

Name

HC Driver Licence No

HC Vehicle Licence No

Please return to Licensing at the address above by 17:00 on 10 June 2024.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire.