Plymouth taxi fares could rise as council proposes £4 flagfall, but freeze on mileage rates
- Perry Richardson
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Taxi passengers in Plymouth could pay higher fares under proposals to raise the standard daytime flagfall from £3.60 to £4.
The changes were presented to Plymouth City Council’s Taxi Licensing Committee on 6 August. The published papers do not confirm the committee’s final decision, so the measures remain proposals pending confirmation and the statutory process.
Under the plan, Tariff 1 would rise from £3.60 to £4, while Tariff 2 would increase from £4.20 to £4.60. The Tariff 3 flagfall would climb by 80p, from £7.20 to £8.
Mileage rates would remain unchanged. The council estimates that the changes would produce an 11% increase at the point of hiring and an average rise of about 4% for journeys between one and 10 miles.
A standard two-mile fare would increase from £8.10 to £8.50. According to comparative figures contained in the Plymouth City Council committee report, that would place Plymouth 41st in a ranking of 341 taxi licensing authorities and above the cited national average of £7.34.
Plymouth would also have the third-highest two-mile tariff among the Devon authorities and neighbouring Cornwall taxi zones included in the report. Only the Caradon zone, at £9.60, and East Devon, at £8.69, would be higher. The cited Devon average was £7.60.
Council calculations indicate that the cost of running a taxi in Plymouth has increased from £1.74 to £1.88 per mile since the previous review. Officers said vehicle replacement, servicing, insurance, fuel and maintenance remained significant pressures for the trade.
An informal survey of Hackney Carriage drivers found that 48% believed the existing tariffs were too low, while 47% strongly supported an increase. Some 42% said current fares did not cover vehicle costs and 49% wanted any increase applied through the flagfall.
The survey also identified concern among drivers about becoming less competitive following Uber’s arrival in the city. Plymouth’s tariff was last increased in October 2023, with the trade previously expressing concern about pricing itself out of the market.
The council said: “A balance needs to be struck between the legitimate right of the trade to be a viable livelihood and the needs of the travelling public.”
It added: “The cost-of-living crisis has hit the taxi trade most notably through the escalating vehicle purchase, maintenance and fuel costs. These costs are no longer absorbed through the existing tariff.”
The authority also noted that Plymouth operates a fully wheelchair-accessible Hackney Carriage fleet, resulting in higher vehicle purchase and operating costs than in areas where standard saloon vehicles may be licensed.
No change has been proposed to existing extras or the fuel surcharge mechanism. A 10p fuel surcharge applies when diesel reaches £1.80 per litre at the designated Outland Road service station, followed by a further 10p for every subsequent 10p increase. Diesel was recorded at £1.62 per litre on 13 July, meaning no surcharge was applicable when the report was prepared.
If approved, the revised tariff must be advertised and opened to objections. In the absence of unresolved objections, the council proposes bringing the new fares into force after the statutory period.
