Agenda item

(A)      With reference to article 3 of the minute above, the Committee received a deputation from Mr Russell McLeod.

Mr McLeod (1) advised that there was a need to achieve a process where the trade did not have to wait for a Fare Review to be instigated each time Aberdeen International Airport (AIA) decided to increase their charges for Taxi Drivers to drop off and pick up customers from the Airport; (2) explained that in simplistic terms, whatever AIA were charging Taxi Drivers, they should be allowed to pass that on to the customer; (3) referred to Aberdeenshire Council’s Taxi Tariff Card, which allowed Aberdeenshire Taxi Drivers to do this and suggested that Aberdeen City Council’s Taxi Tariff Card should mirror this; (4) indicated that currently, to pick up a customer at AIA, Aberdeen Taxi Drivers were not permitted to pass on the Car Park Charge to their customers and at present the minimum charge to exit the Airport Car Park was £4; and (5) suggested that a maximum charge of whatever the Drop Off charge was, should be permitted to be passed onto the customer, (currently £3).

Mr McLeod sought a change to the fare following two years of a global pandemic. He made reference to average national earnings, vehicle costs, low hybrid and electric taxi car fleet usage, fuel costs, the furlough scheme, job losses, loss of earnings and the predicted cost-of-living increase.

Mr McLeod requested that the Committee consider the following taxi fare changes:-

·       First 940 Yards: £2.80 (currently £2.60);

·       Every Additional 160 Yards: £0.20 (unchanged);

·       Waiting: £26.00 per hour (currently £24.60)

·       Tariff Card should allow driver to add whatever the current Third Part Charge was for dropping at AIA;

·       Any pre-booked hire from the Airport, the driver should be permitted to charge whatever the current rate was for drop off area as a maximum charge; and

·       Taxi Fare Review to be undertaken every 12 months (currently 18 months).

Mr McLeod responded to questions from the Committee.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the deputation by Mr McLeod and to thank him for his contribution.

(B)      The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Governance, which provided evidence from the taxi fare tariff calculator that will allow it to reach an informed decision on any changes to be made to the current taxi fare tariff and comply with its duty to review taxi fares under section 17 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve either Option A or Option B detailed at section 3.4 of this report as the proposed scales to be advertised for the taxi fare review in terms of section 17 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer - Governance to advertise the proposed scales agreed in a newspaper circulating in its area for at least one month together with the general effect of the proposed scales and the date when it is proposed that they will take effect; and

(c)      instruct the Chief Officer - Governance to submit a report to the Licensing Committee on 22 March 2022 on the outcome of the consultation on the proposed scales and seeking a final decision on the future taxi fare levels to be adopted from 31 May 2022.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved:-

that the Committee –

(1)    approve Option A detailed at section 3.4 of the report as the proposed scale to be advertised for the taxi fare review in terms of section 17 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, subject to replacing the wording at conditions (7) and (8) of the current Taxi Fare Tariff, to read “Airport Booking Fee – Taxi Drivers may add any current charge incurred at Airports when either dropping off or picking up passengers. Drivers must make passengers aware in advance that extra charges may be added to the fare; and

(2)    otherwise approve recommendations (b) and (c) above.

Councillor Delaney, moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee –

(1)    approve Option A detailed at section 3.4 of the report as the proposed scale to be advertised for the taxi fare review in terms of section 17 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, subject to amending the wording in the Taxi Fare Tariff to include the Airport drop off charge (as set by Aberdeen International Airport) and a charge, equivalent to that same amount, for picking up from the Airport; and

(2)    otherwise approve recommendations (b) and (c) above.

In terms of Standing Order 29.12, as Councillor Delaney had no seconders, the amendment fell.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve Option A detailed at section 3.4 of the report as the proposed scale to be advertised for the taxi fare review in terms of section 17 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, subject to replacing the wording at conditions (7) and (8) of the current Taxi Fare Tariff, to read “Airport Booking Fee – Taxi Drivers may add any current charge incurred at Airports when either dropping off or picking up passengers. Drivers must make passengers aware in advance that extra charges may be added to the fare”; and

(ii)       to otherwise approve recommendations (b) and (c) above.