Harrogate district taxi licence fees frozen again due to pandemic

Taxi licence fees in the Harrogate district have been frozen for the second year running due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s licensing committee agreed not to increase fees after it was revealed there has been a big drop in the number of taxis on the roads.

Gareth Bentley, licensing manager at the council, said there are around 50 fewer private hire vehicles operating in the area, although he added there are “early signs” that the trade is recovering.

He said:

“There are some very small signs of recovery, but it is very early.

“The numbers of drivers and vehicles over the years has always been very steady – we have only ever seen very slight fluctuations.

“There are lots of reasons why this could have now reduced.

“It is a hard job for a start. Some drivers have migrated into other careers and decided that is where they want to be.

“Whether we will get a new set of drivers coming to replace the 50 we have lost – only time will tell.”

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Mr Bentley also said the reduction in drivers had an impact on the council’s budget as it meant less income.

He added he was hopeful that a recent policy change which removed a limit on the number of wheelchair accessible taxi licences would help boost vehicle numbers.

Richard Fieldman, who runs A1 Cars Ripon, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he would not “heap any praise” on the council for freezing licence fees again as many drivers had not forgotten the authority introduced a 10% rise before the pandemic.

He said:

“Previously fees went up by this amount two years running – those were both massive hikes.

“It is no surprise whatsoever that there are fewer drivers on the roads.

“As a driver for 29 years, I thought about packing it in myself during the lockdowns as this period highlighted to me how vulnerable we are.

“I personally managed to ride through this period, although I did end up in debt because of it.

“A lot of drivers have now realised there is very little reward in this trade.”

The licence fee freeze for the 2022/23 financial year was unanimously approved by members of the committee.

Mixed reaction to proposed Harrogate wheelchair taxi licence changes

Plans to tackle a decline in disabled-friendly travel in the Harrogate district by introducing an unlimited number of taxi licences have been met with a mixed reaction from local cabbies and campaigners.

Harrogate Borough Council’s licensing committee will next Wednesday be asked to remove a limit on licences and make all new plates available only to wheelchair accessible vehicles after complaints that disabled people have been “cut off from society” because of a lack of travel options.

The move has been welcomed by campaigners who hope it will put an end to “the inequality that the current system imposes”.

But cabbies have warned unlimited licences would lead to “deregulation” in the taxi trade.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said the charity has long campaigned for a solution to the problem which has caused “social isolation and frustration” for disabled people.

She said: 

“While in recent years many of our cities and towns have increased their numbers of wheelchair accessible vehicles, the exact opposite has been occurring across the Harrogate district.

“This is despite an increasing demand, which sadly has led to a real problem for local disabled people.

“Disabled people go to work, have medical appointments and go shopping just the same as non-disabled people, but with the difference being that many are reliant on others for their transport.

“The impact of not being able to get a taxi on the same basis as a non-disabled person should not be under-estimated.”

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But Richard Fieldman, who runs A1 Cars of Ripon and Harrogate, said going through with the proposal would be a “big mistake” as more licences would mean the supply of taxis would outstrip demand.

He said: 

“I’m rather surprised they want to introduce an unlimited number of licences – it will have a massive impact on the trade because it will mean every man and his dog can get one.

“This isn’t about throwing a load of plates out there, this is about what is fair to the existing trade which has planned a lot of money and time into this.”

No increase in licenses for 30 years

Harrogate Borough Council has restricted the number of taxi licences to 148 for about 30 years, which in effect has meant the only way to acquire a licence is to buy an existing vehicle from someone.

In September last year, the licensing committee agreed to double the number of licences designated for wheelchair-accessible taxis from 11 to 23 after a study concluded disabled people were suffering from a “great deal of anxiety” over worries they could not get around.

However, the council has since run into difficulties over creating a “fair and lawful” system to distribute just 12 additional licences.

Dean Richardson, head of safer communities at the council, said in a report to Wednesday’s meeting: 

“It became apparent to officers that it would not be straightforward to design a fair allocation system which would not be susceptible to legal challenge by disappointed applicants.

“In the Harrogate district, wheelchair users have been facing increasing difficulty obtaining wheelchair-accessible licensed vehicles’ services.

“Wheelchair accessible vehicles are vital in allowing users to access essential services and for them to live their lives as anyone else would.”

The recommendation to committee members next Wednesday is to remove the limit on licences with all future licences to be designated as wheelchair accessible vehicles plates.

If approved, the changes would be reviewed within five years.