Council reverses decision after drivers oppose proposed increase
The city council has abandoned plans to raise hackney carriage fares in Worcester after local taxi drivers made their opposition clear. The increase, agreed in June following a request from the Worcester Taxi Association, was withdrawn after a survey of association members found the majority did not support the change.
Under the proposals approved in June, Tariff 1 – the standard fare – would have risen from £4.30 to £5.00. Tariff 2, covering late-night hours, Sundays, bank holidays and other specified periods, was due to increase from £5.50 to £6.40. Those rises will not take effect and the existing charges set in 2022 will remain in place while further consultation takes place.
- Council originally agreed the fare hike in June after a request from the Worcester Taxi Association.
- A later survey of association members indicated most drivers opposed the change.
- Committee chair Cllr Richard Udall said the council acted on the understanding drivers had already been consulted.
Speaking at a meeting of the council’s licensing and environmental health committee on 7 September, committee chair Cllr Richard Udall voiced frustration that councillors had acted on the basis that drivers supported the increase.
“They told us in very forceful terms that they had the full support of their members and this is something we had to do in order to save their trade,”
He told the committee that a subsequent statutory consultation had produced a different picture. According to the figures cited by councillors, 67 drivers opposed the rise while just two backed it. Cllr Udall said the outcome made for a difficult decision and confirmed he would ask the committee to abandon the increase and retain the existing tariff.
What happens next for drivers and passengers
The Worcester Taxi Association has said it will hold further trade discussions and report any fresh proposals back to council officials. The association’s chairman told the council that the fare rise “has been rejected by a large number of the members” and described the plan as “not the right decision” for the trade.
“It’s not the right decision in my opinion and it is not helpful for the trade.”
Councillors also discussed an alternative option raised during the process: increasing the cost of using the meter rather than raising the set tariff. Cllr Udall noted that the association had previously been opposed to that approach, and emphasised the need for a thorough discussion at a future taxi drivers’ forum so any future changes genuinely reflect drivers’ views.
| Tariff | Current (2022) | Proposed (June) | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tariff 1 (standard) | £4.30 | £5.00 | Retained at £4.30 |
| Tariff 2 (midnight–7am, Sundays, Bank Holidays) | £5.50 | £6.40 | Retained at £5.50 |
The reversal is likely to be welcomed by passengers who would have faced higher fares, but it also leaves unresolved questions for drivers about how to cover rising costs. Taxi operators across the country have been grappling with higher fuel and operating expenses in recent years, and the Worcester association’s initial request to raise fares reflected that pressure.
For the council, the episode has highlighted the importance of ensuring any trade-wide consultations are properly carried out before decisions are made. Cllr Udall said the committee had listened to the association’s representations in good faith and acted to protect drivers’ livelihoods, but the later survey results showed the need for better checks.
Officials will now maintain the status quo while the association convenes further meetings with drivers. The council has indicated it wants a meaningful forum where proposals can be discussed in depth and where the views of the wider driving community are clearly established before another submission is made.
Residents and visitors using hackney carriages in Worcester should expect no change to metered fares for the immediate future, but drivers and the council have signalled that the debate over how to balance affordable fares with sustainable incomes is far from settled.
