Following spiralling fuel costs, cabbie Clayton Berry who claims to represent 70 per cent of the licensed Hackney Carriages at the rank, asked the Council to increase taxi fares in April.
His proposal would have simply extended the old weekend rate to the whole week, adding 80p to every weekday fare from April 27.
The licensing committee at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council approved the proposal last month and put it out for public consultation, but rival cabbie, Shujaullah Baraki, who also claims to represent 70 per cent of drivers as Chairman of the ‘the Tunbridge Wells Hackney Carriage Association’ objected to the price hike.
He instead proposed increasing both the weekend surcharge and the week-day tariff. Meeting again on June 13, the Licensing Committee at TWBC considered both proposals and questioned Mr Baraki, before reducing the charges he had sought in his objection including the weekend surcharge.
The decision has angered Mr Berry who told the Times: “He’s done us out of money. It should have taken effect already.”
And he slammed the new rates as too high, adding: “If these prices go through, it will kill the business.”
The increased taxi fares took effect on Monday (June 27), increasing the cost of ordinary-tariff journeys by 80p, while overnight and public holiday journeys increase by £1.
TWBC’s legal team told the Times: “There is no further provision for consultation nor can the decision be appealed.”
But they added: “The Licensing Committee has, however, agreed to further review the agreed fares in six months’ time, to reflect the exceptional circumstances of the day.”
