Stafford taxi fare increase of 8pc is backed

Taxi passengers in Stafford were today facing an eight per cent hike in fares.

The change will cost passengers up to 20p extra every mile. Council bosses were last night due to rubber-stamp the increase, which has been brought about to offset cabbies' growing fuel and insurance bills.

Stafford Borough Council leader Mike Heenan said: "The last increase was some time ago. This is a difficult issue – we don't want to increase fares unreasonably but have to be mindful that if you don't allow a reasonable increase, you won't end up with taxis there when you want them. I think the deal that has been struck is as good as we can possibly hope for."

Under the scheme, after a taxi has travelled one mile, the fee will jump by 10p to £1.40 per mile. Fares will increase at a steeper rate the longer the journey because cab meters charge more per mile once a driver passes four miles. After that, the fee will increase to £1.70 from £1.50. Booking fees will also rise from 80p to £1.

The move was requested by the borough's Hackney Carriage Proprietors Association, which says fuel and insurance prices have shot up since the last fee increase in 2008. The cabbies' scheme will eventually see fees rise by 11 per cent by 2014. The taxi trade originally pushed for a 25 per cent hike to be brought in immediately but council chiefs refused.