Lewes District taxi drivers hit with ‘STAGGERING’ licensing fee increases
- Perry Richardson
- Mar 11
- 2 min read
Taxi drivers in Lewes District are facing a sharp rise in licensing costs following a 60% hike approved at a full council meeting on 4 March. The increase, set to take effect from the 2025/26 financial year, will see drivers paying significantly more for essential licences.
Under the new structure, the cost of a three-year Hackney Carriage, Private Hire, or Dual Driver’s Licence will rise from £315 to £472.50, an increase of £157.50. A one-year licence, issued in exceptional cases, will jump from £120.75 to £181.13.
Vehicle licences are also seeing substantial increases. The annual Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle Licence will rise from £205.50 to £308.50, adding over £100 to drivers’ yearly expenses.
Drivers undergoing testing will also be hit. The application fee, which includes a DBS check, knowledge test, and English language test, is increasing from £227 to £340.20, a rise of 50%. Retests for the knowledge exam will now cost £78.75, up from £52.50, while the English language retest fee is jumping from £68.25 to £113.30.
Private Hire Operators will see no change in licence fees for fleets of more than five vehicles. However, additional administrative costs, including the replacement of lost or damaged plates and badges, are increasing by as much as 52%. A lost driver’s badge, for example, will now cost £17.50 to replace, up from £11.55.
The scale of these increases has prompted backlash from drivers and councillors alike. Independent councillor Sean MacLeod described the rise as “staggering” and warned that some drivers were already planning to leave the trade.
“It’s staggering, considering that taxis have already been asked to install CCTV and meet numerous other financial demands,” MacLeod said according to The Argus. “We’re hitting them with higher fees, yet they are seeing no benefits in return. Licensing costs keep going up, but meter rates have only increased once in that time.”
MacLeod also highlighted a breakdown in communication between taxi drivers and the council, with drivers no longer able to speak directly to licensing officers via a dedicated phone line.
With Lewes District’s Hackney Carriage fleet dwindling to just 89 drivers, concerns are growing that rising costs could further damage the industry. Despite this, the council insists the new fees are necessary to cover administrative expenses and ensure public safety.
