The Licensing Sub-Committee of Aberdeenshire Council met on Friday 28 August 2026 to review taxi fares. After considering public and trade feedback, the committee decided to implement a 5% increase across most taxi fares, with a revised implementation date of 1 November 2026.

Taxi Fare Review

The committee discussed the statutory review of taxi fare scales, which is required every 18 months under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The report presented detailed the responses received from a public consultation held between 22 May and 22 June 2026.

Consultation Findings: A total of 23 responses were received, with 17 from the trade and 6 from the public. The participation level was noted as disappointingly low, similar to previous years. The consultation revealed a near even split between those who felt the fare scale required amendment (49.1%) and those who believed it should remain unchanged (50.9%). However, a majority of public respondents favoured a change.

Trade Concerns: Paul Anderson, managing director of Central Taxis, spoke on behalf of the trade, highlighting significant cost increases faced by operators, including insurance, fuel, minimum wage, and vehicle costs. He argued that the proposed fare scale should be increased to keep pace with these rising expenses, noting that other councils have typically adjusted their fares. Mr. Anderson also pointed out increases in council licensing fees, such as an 11.8% rise for a one-year car license and a 51.52% increase for a driver badge. He stated that without a fare increase, the number of taxis operating would continue to decrease, impacting the ability to service demand.

Public and Trade Views on Fare Elements: While the overall support for amending specific elements of the fare scale was low, the standard rate charges, late-night charges, and initial festive season rate saw the most significant calls for change. The trade generally proposed increases to cover rising costs, with suggested rises between 10% and 19% for standard rates. Conversely, some public respondents felt current charges were too high, with one suggesting fares should simply be per mile.

Festive Season Period: The majority of respondents (62.5%) supported retaining the current festive season period, which includes all weekends in December. Those favouring change felt the extended period was unnecessary and had adversely affected trade, while those supporting retention cited the need to offset quieter trading periods early in the year.

Practicalities: The consultation also addressed practical issues such as unrounded charges, card payments, and meter recalibration. Most respondents indicated that unrounded charges did not cause significant issues for meter calibration or carrying change. All trade respondents accepted card payments, though most incurred additional charges, generally ranging from 1% to 2% of the fare. The majority of the trade preferred the new scale to come into effect on 1 October 2026, should no appeals be received.

Committee Debate and Decision: During the debate, Councillor Jim Gifford proposed a 5% uniform increase across all fare scales, citing the need for a balanced approach to ensure viability without pricing the trade out of the market. This was seconded by Councillor Richard Menard.

An amendment was proposed by Councillor John Cox, seconded by Councillor Geoff Crowson, to increase the taxi fare scale by 10% and to increase the festive season tariff from 50% to 100%. Councillor Cox also sought to clarify that the festive rate increase would apply to specific public holidays, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, and the 2nd of January.

Following a vote, the motion for a 5% increase was carried by five votes to three.

Implementation Details: The committee agreed to amend the implementation date for the new fare scale to 1 November 2026, allowing sufficient time for meter recalibration. They also agreed to delegate the implementation of the fare scale to the Head of Legal & People, provided no objections or representations were received during the appeal period. If objections or representations were made, the determination would be made by the subcommittee following consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair.

The committee confirmed that the decision to implement a 5% increase across all tariffs, with an implementation date of 1 November 2026, was carried. They also agreed that if objections or representations were received during the appeal period, the matter would be referred back to the subcommittee for determination.