New tariffs for Ilfracombe Taxis

New taxi fares have come into effect this month, which will see prices for North Devon's taxi drivers and customers regulated across the board.

The new fares were introduced on Friday 4th November by North Devon Council. The authority is responsible for licensing taxis in the district, as well as regulating the maximum that taxi drivers are allowed to charge customers.

The new tariff is intended to be less complicated and easier for customers to understand. All drivers must now switch on their meters at the start of a journey and a fare sheet is to be displayed in the passenger area of all cabs, so that customers can check they are being charged at the correct rate.

The other main changes are a reduced night-time rate, now charged at one and a half times the day rate, instead of double the day rate. There has been a ten pence increase on the starting rate for journeys in the day, and the night rate now begins at 11.30pm rather than midnight. Instead of adding confusing percentages to the fare for each additional passenger, there is now a standard fare for up to four passengers, and another for more than four passengers.

It has also been agreed that new taxi drivers are to have calendar-controlled meters fitted in their vehicles. This will mean meters will automatically clock over to the correct tariff during a journey, for example, either to a day or night-time rate. One of the benefits of this is to protect taxi users from either deliberate or accidental over-charging. Existing drivers have until 4th November 2012 to get the calendar-controlled meters fitted.

Thanks to the support of RMB Chivenor in allowing the council to use their base as a venue, the council was able to provide drivers with the new taxi fare meter testing free of charge.

Chairman of the Licensing Committee Cllr Joe Tucker says: "Tariffs are set to protect customers from being overcharged, but also to ensure there is a level playing field for all taxis. We had a great response from local drivers, with the majority coming forward straight away to have their meters reset with the new fares. Christmas is always a busy season for taxi drivers and having the new tariff in place will mean local drivers and their customers can feel assured the charges are fair."

The new taxi fare tariff is available to view on the council's website. There is also a guidance sheet online, providing customers with additional information, such as what to do if you can't pay your fare or if taxis try to charge for dead mileage*. It also provides examples of typical fares of journeys up to 15 miles.

*Taxi drivers incur the costs of travelling between pickups. This is termed "dead mileage". Taxis are not permitted to pass this cost on to the customer.