Agenda item

Report E/22/14 asks the Executive to agree an option as set out in paragraph 3 (A to D) of the report and give permission to carry out the legally required public consultation.

The Lead Executive Member for Health and Culture presented the report which asked Members to consider and agree one of the options set out in paragraph 3, and if agreed, to increase fares and give permission to carry out a legally required public consultation.

The Executive noted that the consultation would run from the 8 to 22 September 2022, a copy of the notice would be placed in the Selby Times and on the Licensing webpages and a copy of the notice would be emailed individually to all licensed Hackney Carriage Proprietors for their comments. At the end of the legal consultation, if there were no objections the new fare (fuel cap) would commence on 1 October 2022. If objections were received and not withdrawn, a further Executive meeting would be needed to consider the objections and agree a way forward.

Members discussed the views of the district’s taxi drivers and how low the responses to previous consultations on the matter had been. The Executive also noted the varying levels of rates across the county.

It was suggested that Officers contact the drivers once more and invite them to the offices for discussions.

The Executive Member for Health and Culture commended the report to the Executive and recommended Option B as set out at paragraph 3 of the report.

RESOLVED:

The Executive

1.    considered and agreed Option B as set out in the report (to endorse Appendix A to potentially align with future local government reorganisation (LGR) proposals); and

2.    gave permission for the legally required public consultation to be carried out.

REASON FOR DECISION:

Due to the rising fuel costs and the need to align the taxi fares with the other districts within North Yorkshire under Local Government reorganisation, any changes to the table of fares must be decided by the Executive Committee and published in accordance with Section 65, for a period of not less than fourteen days to allow for objections to be made.