Issue - meetings

Consider report by the Service Director Regulatory Services. (Copy attached).

With reference to paragraph 2 of Minute of Executive Committee dated 17 October 2017, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director Regulatory Services advising Members of the recent consultation undertaken in connection with the revision of the current processes (formula) used by the Council to review taxi fares.  The Council ,as licensing authority was required, in terms of Section 17 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (“the Act”), to review the scales for fares and other charges in connection with the hire of a taxi, at intervals not exceeding 18 months of the last review.  An on-line consultation had taken place between 2 July 2018 and 7 October 2018 with 71 people responding from various groups including taxi operators, taxi drivers, taxi users and other interested parties.  Detailed information had been included in paragraph 4 of the report with an explanation on the current formula detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.  Members noted that a review had taken place and the recommendations were set out in the report and also that the next formula review was scheduled to commence following the fares review of 2023.  The Passenger Transport Manager, Mr Timothy Stephenson gave further information about the consultation process and the individual questions as set out in Appendix 2 of the report.  He answered Members’ questions with regard to the new formula as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.  In response to a question on flag rates/initial hire rates, Mr Stephenson advised that percentage changes in the formula were used to determine both flag rates and distance travelled for taxi fares.  Members agreed to support the paper but requested the next taxi fare review offer comparisons where possible with rates applied in similar sized rural local authorities. The new formula would come in to effect when taxi fares were next reviewed in 2019.

DECISION

AGREED to:-

(a)       Retain the current criteria used in the formula but amends the percentage weighting criteria as follows;

(i)        A reduction of 5% was applied to the Wages criteria of the formula to give both elements of the formula an even 50/50 split

(ii)       A reduction in the existing weighting applied to the purchase of motor vehicles from 10% to 5%

(iii)      An increase in the weighting to vehicle tax and insurance from 3% to 8% and to include in this category medical costs and license costs

(iv)      An increase in the weighting applied to fuel and oil from 15% to 20%

(v)       Retain the current 17% weighting for maintenance

(b)       that the revised formula would come in to effect at the next taxi fares review in 2019

(c)       that future taxi fare reviews should be undertaken using the Citizen Space or similar tool in addition to intimation by advertisement in a newspaper circulating in the area as required by Section 17(3)(b) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, although it had been pointed out to us that this was now somewhat draconian  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3