The Licensing Panel of Windsor and Maidenhead Council is scheduled to meet on Monday, 13 October 2025. The panel will be asked to consider proposed changes to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) Hackney Carriage Tariff, and to approve the minutes from their previous meeting.

Hackney Carriage Tariff

The panel will be asked to consider a report regarding proposed changes to the RBWM Hackney Carriage Tariff, which sets the fares that licensed hackney carriage (taxi) drivers can charge.

The report notes that representatives of RBWM licensed hackney drivers have requested an increase in the tariff, citing general cost of living increases, increases in the cost of motor insurance, and the need to be able to make a reasonable living.

The report sets out several options for the panel to consider:

• Option 1: Increase Tariff 1 (daytime tariff) by 10%, with the minimum fare increasing from £6 to £7. No changes to Tariff 2 (nighttime tariff, also used during Royal Ascot). This option is supported by a petition signed by 49 of the 102 licensed hackney carriage drivers.
• Option 2: Increase both Tariff 1 and Tariff 2 by 10%, with the minimum fare for Tariff 1 increasing to £7 and the minimum fare for Tariff 2 remaining at £9.
• Option 3: Increase Tariff 1 by 10% (minimum fare to £7) and Tariff 2 by 5% (minimum fare remains at £9).
• Option 4: Make no changes to the current tariff.

The report notes that a comparison of tariffs between RBWM and comparable licensing authorities shows that the RBWM tariff is currently lower than all other Berkshire authorities and most neighbouring authorities. The comparison of hackney carriage tariffs included in the report pack shows that a 2 mile journey in RBWM currently costs £7.10, compared to £9.00 in Reading and £12.00 in London.

The report also includes a table of current costs incurred by drivers to become RBWM licensed hackney carriage drivers, including vehicle and driver licence fees, MOT and vehicle compliance tests, meter installation and calibration, DBS checks¹, mandatory livery, and safeguarding training.

The report states that should the Licensing Panel agree to any changes to the current tariff, a notice setting out the new tariff must be published in a local newspaper and made available at the Town Hall, as well as appearing on the RBWM website. This will provide a 14-day period during which objections to the new tariff can be made. The report recommends that consideration of any objections is delegated to the Assistant Director Housing & Public Protection in consultation with the Licensing Panel Chair and the Cabinet Member for Household & Regulatory Services.

An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) is included as an appendix to the report. The EQIA notes that a large majority of RBWM licensed drivers are from ethnic minorities, and that people with mobility problems are more likely to use hackney carriages. The EQIA states that any increase in the hackney carriage tariff may have a disproportionate effect on people with a mobility difficulty.

The Licensing Panel is asked to note the report and agree on the proposed increases to the hackney carriage tariff as set out in Table 1. Once the required consultation process has been completed, the final decision on implementing the changes is delegated to the Assistant Director Housing & Public Protection in consultation with the Licensing Panel Chair and the Cabinet Member for Household & Regulatory Services.

Approval of Previous Minutes

The Panel will be asked to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7th July 2025 as a true and accurate record.