Taxi fare rise approved for Sunderland - here's how much you will pay

In recent months, Sunderland’s Hackney Carriage Operators’ Association (SHCOA) applied to the city council to increase fees.

Under a hackney carriage licence, drivers can take on both pre-booked work and be flagged down from customers.

In Sunderland, drivers have to operate under a council fare structure which sets the maximum fee that can be charged for set distances.

New proposals aimed to increase fares by 2.9% on average with rises of between 20p to 60p for certain journeys.

On November 25, Sunderland City Council’s Regulatory Committee heard several licensed hackney drivers had objected to the changes.

And a 41-signature petition submitted to licensing bosses claimed the fee changes could damage the taxi trade.

Michael Young, speaking on behalf of objectors, said drivers were facing competition from rival companies, Uber and private hire firms and fighting a lack of footfall in the city centre.

He told the meeting: “Speaking to our customers who are regulars they say if there’s any increase at all we’re going to lose more trade.

“It might not during the day when there’s footfall but on the evening there’s nothing and a lot of independents work on the evening.

“If there’s an increase it actually jeopardises a lot of jobs.”

A report prepared for the committee said representatives of independent hackney carriage operators in Sunderland and Washington supported the plans.

Councillors also heard that the changes in Sunderland were comparable to other taxi fares across the North East.

Trevor Hines, speaking on behalf of SHCOA at the meeting, said taxi fares were an “emotive subject” and that he understood concerns.

Since the last Sunderland increase came into force in April 2018, he explained, taxi drivers were facing increasing costs to keep their cars on the road.

This included fuel prices, insurance, road tax, repairs and maintenance and an “exponential increase” in customers using debit and credit cards as a payment method.

Mr Hines added that the changes would help drivers “absorb” these costs, including increases in living expenses due to inflation.

A letter from SHCOA submitted to the council added: “It is once again with great reluctance that we’re making this application but it is felt that it is necessary under the current prevailing circumstances and it is now over 18 months since we last applied for an increase.”

Following discussion, the proposal was passed by a vote of 8-1 with a sole objection from Coun Steven Bewick.

The council will now consult on the bid for two weeks before changes can come into force.

Any comments received during this period will be considered by Sunderland City Council.

However, the changes will not apply to private hire firms which set their own fare structures.

How hackney carriage fares are set to change in Sunderland

Tariff one – Monday – Saturday 7.00am to 11.00pm (with exception of public/ bank holidays and the Christmas / new year period.)

One-mile journey – £4.20 (no change)

Two-mile journey – £5.80 (20p increase)

Two-and-a-half mile journey – £6.60 (20p increase)

Three mile journey – £7.40 (20p increase)

Four-mile journey – £9.20 (40p increase)

Five-mile journey – £10.80 (40p increase)

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Tariff two – Monday – Saturday 11.00pm and 7.00am and all day Sunday (with the exception of public/ bank holidays and the Christmas / new year period.)

One-mile journey – £5 (no change)

Two-mile journey – £7.20 (20p increase)

Two-and-a-half mile journey – £8.20 (20p increase)

Three mile journey – £9.40 (40p increase)

Four-mile journey – £11.40 (40p increase)

Five-mile journey – £13.60 (60p increase)

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Tariff three – 6pm-7am from December 24-27 and December 31-January 2 and all day on other public and bank holidays.

One-mile journey – £6 (no change)

Two-mile journey – £8.20 (20p increase)

Two-and-a-half mile journey – £9.20 (20p increase)

Three mile journey – £10.40 (40p increase)

Four-mile journey – £12.40 (40p increase)

Five-mile journey – £14.60 (60p increase)