Agenda and minutes

          The Minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2022 having been circulated were signed as a correct record.

The Committee considered a report which outlined a request from the Taxi Trade to increase the current Hackney Carriage Table of Fares due to the impact of the costs of living crisis. The Trade had been consulted on 1) whether there should be a fare increase and 2) the method of the increase. The Committee were referred to the responses and counterproposals received which were appended to the Committee report.

Most of the trade were in favour of an increase and the proposal set out at page 7 of the report. The Committee were advised of slight typographical errors set out in the proposed new table of fares on page 7 and were handed a new table setting out the correct proposal.

The proposal was for a 30p increase to the start rate as well as a 10% reduction on the yardage figures (except for the first 440 yards used to calculate the start rate) on all tariffs. The yardage figure is reduced on Tariff 1 from 220 to 200 yards, on Tariff 2 from 165 to 150 yards and on Tariff 3 from 132 to 120 yards. The yardage unit price of 0.20p was to be maintained. It was also proposed that the waiting time be increased by £3.00 per hour. The table below sets out the proposed new rates. 

The Committee were advised that the proposal represented a 10% monetary increase in fares.

The Committee also took into account information from two drivers who were for and against the proposal. This information was handed to the Committee on the night and read out by Officers.

In analysing the proposal, the Committee considered the increase in the cost of living as shown by the Consumer Prices Index which rose by 11.1% in the 12 months up to October 2022 and in overheads for drivers and proprietors especially the cost of fuel, noting that most of the Hackney Carriages in Halton were diesel. It also noted that the UK national minimum wage, DWP benefits and the basic and new state pensions were set to rise from April 2023 by around 10%. 

The Committee also noted that the proposed table of fares was consistent with that charged by neighbouring authorities in the City Region and Cllr Stockton stated that the proposed new fares were still much lower than those charged by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

          The Committee also considered the proposed increase in light of the Council’s Public Sector Equality  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

PART II

In this case the Committee has a discretion to exclude the press and public and, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, it is RECOMMENDED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, having been satisfied that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Board considered:

1)    whether members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Board during consideration of the following items of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

2)    whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED:  That, as in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business, in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Committee considered a report summarising the Creamfields Event 2022 from the responsible authorities. 

The Committee accepted the report. However, requested that representatives from the Police attend the next Committee meeting to provide some further information.

RESOLVED:  That the contents of the report be noted.