An increase in taxi and private-hire vehicle fees has been approved by Worthing Borough Council.
The council’s licensing and control committee approved an average 3 per cent increase to all Hackney carriage (taxi) and private hire fees at a meeting on Monday, November 26, in line with inflation – except statutory charges set by national government.
The increase came after a review of the council’s Worthing Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Account last year found it running in a deficit, and will come into effect April, 2024.
Council officers said it had been several years since fees had been looked at, stating the private hire account was running at a deficit and needed to raise income to balance the cost of running licensing in the borough.
The account cannot be used to generate revenue, only to recoup the council’s licencing costs.
In a report presented by officers to the council, private hire operators with one to two vehicles saw increases of roughly 7 per cent for a five year licence, and 3 per cent for a one year licence – with larger private hire operators seeing no increase.
Officers said this was due to an error in rates applied to five year private hire licences, resulting in a £30 increase in fees.
New private hire operator licences went up by 13 per cent, or £14.50, and new hackney carriage driver’s licences, including the first knowledge test, went up by 12 per cent, or £14.75.
Animal welfare licences for things like running kennels, catteries or hiring of horses also all went up by an average of 3 per cent, as well as fees for ‘dangerous wild animals’ and zoos.
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