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Black cab fares go up for eighth time under Ken
Last updated at 10:32am on 15.02.07
Black cabs fares are set to increase again
Taxi fares are set to rise again, taking the average cost of hailing a black cab above £10.50.
Journey prices will increase by 3.2 per cent on 14 April, the eighth time they have gone up since Ken Livingstone became mayor seven years ago.
This means a typical fare - averaged out across day, night and weekend rates - will jump 32p from £10.25 to £10.57.
Passengers travelling between 10pm and 6am - when the fares are most expensive - can expect to pay just under £13, up about 40p on the current £12.57 night-time average.
Cab fares are reviewed annually by Transport for London. The intention is to maintain the earnings - in line with cost of living inflation - of the capital's 24,678 cabbies once the cost of running a car is taken into account.
The minimum fare remains at £2.20, which includes a 20p environmental charge, which was introduced three years ago to encourage drivers to modernise their vehicles to meet new green emissions guidelines.
Londoners have been hit hard by fare increases across the travel sector. Taxi increases come after big hikes in cash fares on buses and trains, with a single Underground ticket in central London now costing £4 and a bus ticket £2.
Overall Underground fares rose by 4.5 per cent and bus fares by 7.5 per cent, though most pay-as-you-go Oyster charges were frozen. According to TfL, the 3.2 per cent increase in taxi fares compares with retail price inflation of 4.4 per cent and a 3.9 per cent increase in national average earnings.
The cost of owning a taxi has increased four per cent while total operating costs are up two per cent.
TfL conducted a survey of 200 regular taxi users and found passengers were "reasonably satisfied" with fares. Four out of five respondents said they had a clear expectation of how much their trip would cost when they got into the taxi.
Brian Cooke, chairman of passenger watchdog London TravelWatch, said it was right that cab drivers received an annual cost of living increase that was based on a wide range of measures.
"We are quite happy and content with this, although we do begin to wonder whether a fresh look needs to be taken at the higher rates charged mid-evening and late evening," he said.
"With London becoming a 24-hour city, we need to ask whether these quite large premiums are still appropriate.They're not cheap and there has to be this balance. Clearly it's in Londoners' interests to use public transport as much as possible."
Bob Oddy, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, said: "The reason the increase is very reasonable is because of diesel fuel. Although it was riding high back in the summer, it's been dipping pretty much ever since. It's an important component of the fares."
Mr Oddy said concern about rising fares was "hype". "The average passenger doesn't complain. Why are cabs all full if they're too expensive to use?" he asked.
Fares will continue to increase in 20p stages but the meter will "speed up" to reflect the higher rates. Three tariffs are used: the cheapest is on weekdays between 6am and 8pm, followed by weekends between the same hours and weekdays between 8pm and 10pm, with premium rates charged between 10pm and 6am seven days a week.
An additional £2 levy, added to journeys from Heathrow airport to destinations in greater London, will also apply to journeys outside of the 33 boroughs.
TfL is also making it easier to share a cab from Wimbledon tennis championships. Such arrangements already exist at Paddington station and at Buckingham Palace after royal garden parties.
The fares do not affect private minicabs, which are now licensed by TfL but which can set their own fares.
Reader views (28)
I shall absolutely refuse to pay these prices unless I am crippled or desperate. I shall walk, or allow more time to bus or tube.
If people refuse to pay, prices will come down. Taxi fares do not need to be this high. If they really do, let's share rides.
C'mon Londoners, you can do it!
- Simon Cooper, London, England
Shame my salary doesn't go up in line with "inflation" every year. That's why I avoid black cabs unless someone else is paying.
- Nobby Clark, London, UK
If they continue to get more money is there any chance that Ken will do something about cabbies who won't leave the centre of london meaning you HAVE to take a dodgy minicab out to east London?
- Lee, London
I got a taxi from my flat (near Baker Street) to Victoria at 5am a couple of weeks ago to get the Gatwick Express to take an early flight to Venice.
The journey would have been no more than 1.5 miles, took little more than 5 minutes and cost £23.
In any other capital city in the world such outrageous overpricing would be outlawed. It's time something was done in London.
- Sarah, London
Ken makes me laugh. Didn't he spearhead a campaign to get women to use black-cabs as opposed to mini-cabs for the safety aspect? Considering it already costs me over £25 to get from the West End back to Hackney if I am ridiculous enough to exercise my right to the occasional night out and take a cab home rather than risk the fright-bus, the outlook is bleak indeed. I'll just stay home and knit, shall I, Ken?
- Emma, London, UK
In the end, many people facing putting out £10 versus walking for five minutes are going to take the option that leaves £10 in their pocket. The reason that Crafty Ken keeps pushing the black cab fares higher and higher is to encourage people to take the healthy option of walking!
- Phil Jones, London UK
Before Livingstone takes every penny we all earn, can we please vote him out of office at the next election! We all work long hours for the money we earn and this imbecile is just taking more and more off us. Congestion charge, tube and bus fare increases, GLA charge increases (does the GLA do anything?), now taxi fare increases. Please vote anyone but Livingstone.
- Anthony, UK
Give the cabbies a break. They know their stuff and all the little short cuts, they know what's on at theatres and cinemas. You won't get that from a GPS sat nav. All those complaining whinge about the cost of cab fares but how much pay rise do they get? Above RPI I'll bet. With Mayor Ken's regulations which dictate how much a cabbie can earn, what standards his (or hers) cab must meet and the various other barriers installed to restrict the benefit to cabbies, I would not be surprised if many of them hang up their boots and retire. My neighbour has been a cabbie for years but he is toying with the idea of throwing in the towel and becoming employed. At least that way, he'll get holiday pay, sick pay and maybe even a pension, things that us employed people take for granted.
So come on, London, give the cabbies a break. And as for Mayor Ken, if you want people out of their cars and onto public transport, is making life more difficult for cabbies actually going to help matters?
Think on!
- Eric, West Middlesex
Being married to a Black cab driver, I do think the fares are steep compared to a normal mini cab but I would just like to add that a new cab costs £30,000. Also all cabs had to be fitted with the new omissions engine brought in by Ken which cost £2,000 and it has not been proven that this cuts omissions. The annual MOT is £1,000 plus the amount to run, repair and fuel the cab. My husband has GPS for suburb runs but the GPS is no good in London and often shows wrong routes down roads that have been closed. Unless you see what someone has to go through learning the knowledge (it is not easy) then I don't think you have the right to rubbish it
- Claire, London
Typical, when do you see a poor cabby?
- Glen James Wills, UK
If cabbies can afford to turn down work then they already earn too much. Try getting a black cab late at night which is not on the driver's way home and you'll see what I mean (surely if that's their business/line of work they should welcome business). Like everything transport related in the UK, the prices of taxis are a joke (particularly when compared against flying or foreign transport) but I guess fares do need a rise to make less of a joke the cost of using public transport here. Although my view is that all workers should be entitled to inflation matching pay-rises, I feel that black-cabs are already too expensive and more should be done to persuade people from using them as opposed to illegal cabs.
- Tom, London
I think that our London Cabbies are the best in the world!
Most of them seem really friendly and caring and have helped me out on many occasions for different reasons, I think we are really lucky we have a good system in place with our London Taxi Drivers.
Good luck to them with any fare increase as it can't be an easy job with troublesome passengesrs and all these roadside cameras.
- Ian Gold, London
An old fashioned shake-down. Those who can afford to pay, or whoss firms will reimburse them, will go on doing so, keeping a limited number of drivers happy. However, some people will be squeezed out at these prices and revert to using buses.
- Peter Haldane, London
Are you people foolish? The price of cabs in London is the highest in the world. How much benefit is the knowledge, given that most cabs have GPS? Who needs cab drivers to learn the knowledge for 7 years - when the GPS will tell it you for £100? Did you know the cab drivers fought the introduction of GPS into their cabs?
- John Smith, London
I have already reduced the amount I use black cabs through principal. If I go out for drinks or dinner and my taxi journey home costs more than I spend on going out then there is something wrong. The restaurant pay for premises, staff, alcohol and food to entertain me for 2/3 hours whereas a taxi driver just ferries me home to SW London in less than 30mins with minimal overheads. Make sense of that?
- Mark, London, UK
It's far too expensive. The excuse of cost of diesel is poor. Shouldn't these polluting cars be made to transfer onto a cheaper more eco-friendly fuel? In addition, have you tried catching a cab after 7pm in Central London? There are a lot of cabs, but none with their lights on. I say bring in the New York system of putting more cabs on the road and making them work fixed shifts. The advent of Sat-Nav makes the "The Knowledge" redundant now.
- Ds, Putney
"Treated with respect"?! By a black cab driver? I could quote Andy Millman's catchphrase here: "Conceited, arrogant, a sizeable proportion of them with scant regard for the law - their law". Not just refusing to take passengers where they don't fancy going nor simply complaining when their tip is under a quid. Always on their damned mobile phones to their wives/boyfriends. 6.30am last week when it had snowed overnight a queue of 100s were waiting at London Bridge. Not a cab in sight. Just so lazy. I have NEVER been able to take down the number because they know where the accelerator is and how to use it effectively. I got in once and asked to go to Surrey Quays and was told to get out of the cab or he would call the police on some fake pretext. I have over 15 years of hatred built up for these arrogant swine.
- Givenuphope, London
Can anyone tell me why London cabs cost twice that of most other major cities?
- R M, London, UK
Surely, a big black cab is an expensive way to transport, what is usually ONE passenger? Expensive both for the passenger and for the environment.
- Naomi Sajeri, Manchester
Tube fares so high it's cheaper to take a cab? Raise the cab fares! Want to see bus use rise? Give free passes to schoolkids that can be used all day, everyday!
- Kenny Frank, London
I think this increase of fare is terrible and will drive people away from using black cabs. They are already massively overpriced and you can travel for much cheaper using public transport. I think if people stopped using black cabs then they'd be forced to reduce the prices of them.
- Louis, Ealing
I do use black cabs a lot simply because they are reliable ie the driver knows where hes going and they are safe to use too. The hike in price won't put me off as I know that I'm best to travel by a real cab. To use public transport is too unreliable and I personally don't feel safe standing in a station by myself at night. So although I don't agree with the increase, I will still use them.
- Suzie, Kilburn
The price of black cabs is getting more and more ridiculous by the year. If other big cities can operate transport for cheaper, why can't we? I spend far too much time travelling around London and sometimes the tube is just too bad to use. I wish there were cheaper alternatives!
- Simone, Kensington
I absolutely adore black cabs and will pay anything they charge as I know I can get from A to B safely and with a pleasant driver! I have no worries about the driver losing their way and I know I will get treated with respect.
- Narinder, Wembley
I am often amazed as I stroll around Central London at the number of young people sitting in taxis in traffic queues.
Get out and walk, and save money.
Walking is healthy and free.
- John Jones, Hampton
What a joke! Has anyone ever come across a hard up cabbie? It's no wonder the illegal cab trade does a roaring trade. At least you know what you're paying from going from a to b, rather than sit in traffic & watch the meter soar! We can't even get a later tube home, as this idea has been scarpped due to the threat of a strike.
- Scott, London
I'm not a regular user of black cabs at all, really just because they are so expensive even jsut for short distances. With the increase of illegal mini cab drivers in London you would think that the government would be trying to do something to get rid of them rather then driving people towards using them!
- Heather, Kennington
Black cabs were already far too expensive nevermind another hike in prices. And on top of that we are expected to tip teh driver too! With the increase in tube fares, train fares, extra taxes on flights, more road taxes for drivers - it really makes me think don't the government want us to leave our homes at all?
- Ian, Muswell Hill
