Why black taxi fares are shooting up 13% in this part of Greater Manchester

Hackney carriage taxi fares in Bury are set for inflation busting rises of more than 13 % because of rocketing fuel price increases.

A typical two-mile day time journey in one of the borough’s taxis which are licensed to ‘ply for hire’ will rise from £6.10 to £6.90 if the proposals go through.

The same journey at the revised night time rates will mean passengers paying £8.10, up from £7.30. There are around 50 licensed Hackney carriages in the borough whose rates are set by Bury Council.

The approximate 900 private hire taxis licensed in Bury are not affected by the rate increases as they set their own rates and prices. A meeting of Bury Council’s licensing and safety committee discussed the request from the Hackney Carriage Association at a meeting on Wednesday.

The association requested an uplift in rates ‘due to fuel price increases and inflation’.

The rates were last revised in July 2020 and prior to that there had been no price changes for 12 years. In a report considered by the licensing and safety committee, Bury’s licensing officer Michael Bridge set out the process for implementing fare increases.

He said: “Law requires the council to advertise a notice in a local newspaper for 14 days any proposal to change Hackney Carriage fares and the production of a table of fares to allow any objections to be made. If no objections are received the table of fares shall come into effect after the 14-day notice period.

“If any objection is received a further date has to be set, not later than two months after the first specified date, on which the table of fares shall come into force with or without modifications as decided by them after consideration of the objections.”

Other typical increases if the rate rise goes ahead include a three mile night time journey rising from £10.10 to £11.10.

A five mile night time journey will rise from £15.70 to £17.10.

The public consultation is regarding the potential increase of fixed rates is now live for the next 14 days and representation can be made to Bury Council.