COMMENT: Taxi drivers deserve a fair fares increase (From The Oxford Times)

COMMENT: Taxi drivers deserve a fair fares increase

9:30am Monday 22nd October 2012 in News

TAXI fares affect almost all of us. From pensioners being picked up from the supermarket, to young women needing a lift home after a night out, the repercussions of a rise will be widespread.

Cabbies say they need fares to go up by about 10 per cent to cover their increased costs.

Like the rest of us they have been hit by spiralling fuel prices.

Couple that with the increased cost of living, particularly in a city like Oxford, and throw in the fact there has not been a rise in fares for more than three years, and you can understand their case.

But 10 per cent is a huge hike and one that will hit the rest of us hard.

It is important to balance the need to be fair to the taxi drivers with a duty to the population as a whole. No-one would want a hike in fares that puts more people at risk of late-night attacks, health problems or social isolation.

So it seems fair that councillors have rejected a 10 per cent rise but accepted the need for some limited increase.

We hope councillors and taxi drivers manage to thrash out a reasonable deal.