From:
Sent on:	Tuesday, November 4, 2025 9:23:02 PM
To:	Catlyn, Lucy <L.Catlyn@spelthorne.gov.uk>
CC:	Licensing <licensing@spelthorne.gov.uk>;
Subject:	Re: OBJECTIONS: Re: New Hackney carriage fare chart

Good evening Lucy,

Thank you for your prompt reply and for your willingness to discuss this further.

In response to your question, our proposed figures for Tariff 2 are based on a combination of practical experience and observed passenger behaviour. While we don't have access to formal corporate data, our consensus as drivers working the night shift is built on the following methodology:

1. Balancing Earnings with Passenger Demand
Our primary concern is that a very high tariff may suppress demand. The goal is to find a sweet spot, a price that justifiably compensates for the challenges of night work without making short journeys economically unviable for customers. A first mile of £6.50-£7.00 and a subsequent rate of £3.50-£4.00 is a significant and clear premium over Tariff 1, which we believe customers will understand and accept for a late-night service. A higher rate risks passengers opting for alternative transport or simply not travelling at all, especially on shorter trips which are common.

2. Compensating for "Dead Mileage":
You specifically asked about "dead mileage." This is a major factor after 10 pm. The landscape of fares changes significantly.

• Cluster-to-Cluster Travel: Journeys often involve taking a fare from one location (e.g., a city centre) to a residential area. The return trip to a profitable area is frequently without a passenger.
• Reduced Public Transport: With many buses and trains no longer running, we are the only option. This means we travel much further into suburbs and remote areas with a very low chance of finding a return fare.
• Estimated Dead Mileage: Based on our collective experience, we estimate that between 50% and 80% of our mileage after 10 pm is "dead" or unproductive, spent returning to viable pickup locations. This is substantially higher than during daytime hours.

Our proposed rates are calculated to ensure that the profitable portion of our shift (the fares we do get) adequately covers the cost and time of this unproductive return travel.

In summary, our proposal is not an arbitrary figure. It is a calculated suggestion designed to:

• Fairly compensate drivers for their time, vehicle wear, and the significant dead mileage incurred.
• Maintain attractive pricing to ensure a consistent volume of fares.
• Secure the long-term viability of the night-time service for both the public and its drivers.

We hope this provides the helpful detail you required. We are all very keen to see a successful and sustainable new fare structure and are happy to provide any further insight from the driver's perspective.

Best regards,

The undersigned Night-Time Drivers

On Tue, Nov 4, 2025 at 6:16  PM Catlyn, Lucy  wrote:

Hello

Please ensure I receive a response by the morning as the deadline to consider is then please for me to be able to consider your views.

Many thanks

Lucy

Lucy Catlyn

Principal Licensing Officer

Environmental Health and Licensing

From: Catlyn, Lucy
Sent: 03 November 2025 09:11
To:

Subject: RE: OBJECTIONS: Re: New Hackney carriage fare chart

Good Morning

Thank you for your email and your feedback on tariff two

Please can I ask what you have based the figure’s on that you have proposed?  I need to propose fees using methodology – it would be helpful to know some more details regarding that.  For example, what percentage of journeys are ‘dead’ mileage for you after 10pm (tariff two)?

Many thanks

Lucy

Lucy Catlyn

Principal Licensing Officer

Environmental Health and Licensing

From:
Sent: 02 November 2025 14:08
To: Licensing <licensing@spelthorne.gov.uk>;
Subject: OBJECTIONS: Re: New Hackney carriage fare chart

Principal Licensing Officer - Lucy Catlyn, 

We are writing as a group of drivers in response to the proposed new fare chart that was sent to all drivers on 16th October 2025. First and foremost, we would like to express our appreciation for the ongoing review of the fare structure and the effort to ensure it remains competitive and fair.

We have discussed the proposal amongst ourselves and have the following collective feedback:

1.  General Support for Tariff 1: We are all very happy with the proposed adjustments to Tariff 1 and believe it is a positive step forward for drivers working standard hours.

2.  Concerns Regarding Tariff 2: Our primary feedback concerns the new proposed rates for Tariff 2 (after 22:00). While we fully support a higher rate for night-time work, which rightly accounts for the unique challenges of these hours, we feel the proposed increase is slightly high. We are concerned that such a significant jump may discourage customer use during these times, ultimately reducing the number of fares and negatively impacting our earnings.

With this in mind, we would like to propose a modest adjustment to the Tariff 2 structure that we believe would be more balanced for both passengers and drivers:

• A first mile rate between £6.50 - £7.00
• A subsequent per-mile rate between £3.50 - £4.00

We are confident that this adjusted rate would still provide fair compensation for the night-time service we provide, while also ensuring our fares remain attractive to customers who need a taxi later in the evening.

We are a united group of drivers who regularly work after 22:00, and we are all in agreement on this proposed adjustment. Below are names and badge numbers of the drivers who endorse this feedback.

Thank you for taking the time to consider our perspective. We are eager to work with you to find a solution that benefits everyone, the drivers and most importantly, our passengers.

We look forward to your response.

Yours respectfully,

The undersigned Night-Time Drivers