TAXI passengers are to foot the bill for soaring fuel costs, with an inflation-shattering price hike.

From April 1, hackney carriage fares in York will rise by 7.32 per cent, council bosses have confirmed.

The announcement comes only days after City of York Council announced it was slashing the value of travel tokens it issues to pensioners and disabled people, many of whom rely on taxis.

The rise is based on a formula that includes vehicle running costs, average earnings and - most crucially - fuel costs.

Alan Rowley, chair of York Taxi Association, said he was now spending far more money on fuel than this time last year, and said prices were now "horrendous".

According to the AA, the price of petrol in Yorkshire and Humberside has risen by 19.4 per cent since last February, while the price of diesel has risen by 20.4 per cent.

Mr Rowley said: "Okay, 7.3 per cent is quite a large number, but it's costing people more to buy fuel.

"I'm spending £25 week more on fuel than I was last year. You don't have to be Mr Micawber to realise that's wrong."

Starting fares will now be £2.10 during the day or £2.90 between 10pm and 7am. A two-mile journey will cost an average of £4.28 during the day, rather than the £4 at present, while a ten-mile trip would cost an average of £17.17 rather than £16.

Mr Rowley said taxis were still a relatively inexpensive way to travel, especially for groups of people and said he did not anticipate any reduction in demand, but disability campaigner Lynn Jeffries today said people who depended on taxis could suffer.

At last week's budget meeting, the council Conservatives and Liberal Democrats agreed to halve the value of bus tokens it issues from £40 to £20. Ms Jeffries said: "For a lot of people this could cause a lot of hardship, if that's their only way of getting out and about. The tokens will not go as far now."

Keith Aspden, the council's executive member for social inclusion, said: "The Liberal Democrats fought hard to continue with bus tokens, despite Conservative plans to scrap them completely. This is a consequence of an balanced council.

"Understanding commercial imperatives, I would call for taxi and bus fares to remain as low as possible."

David Scott, Labour group leader, said: "We warned at budget council that there was a need to keep bus tokens at £40 until reliable alternative transport could be offered to protect those that most needed them.

"The increase in taxi fares will come as a double blow to residents who the Labour group wanted to protect."


Counting the cost

WHILE the fares for hackney cars are set in conjunction with City of York Council, private hire car operators are free to set their own charges.

Mark Wilson, secretary of York Private Hire Association, said most had either increased their fares already, or were in the process of doing so, mostly by about seven per cent.

Like Alan Rowley, he said the soaring cost of fuel was to blame.

He said: "Without a doubt, most drivers are seeing a £20 to £30 a week increase in fuel costs."

Private hire firms can set their own starting fares, but Mr Wilson said most were about the £2 to £2.20 mark.