Taxi fares to rise
TAXI fares in Shetland are set to rise for the first time in five years after councillors gave their backing to a new charging structure.
Fares will rise from £3.80 for the first three-quarters of a mile to £4, while the base rate for trips between 10pm to 5.59am will increase from £4 to £4.50.
The minimum billing interval is also to change from quarter-of-a-mile to 0.1 mile to enable greater profitability of short runs.
An increase in festive rates and a six-hour increase till 6am in what is deemed the Christmas and New Year periods was also approved to allow drivers to charge more for early morning runs.
Fixed excursion rates of £45 per hour for a four seater and £50 for an up to eight seater taxi were also recommended.
Drivers who have their vehicles “soiled” by passengers will be able to charge up to £60 for clean up costs instead of the £40 limit at present.
The new fare structure was approved at Wednesday’s meeting of the full Shetland Islands Council at Lerwick Town Hall and it is set to come into force on 14 June.
The last change in taxi tariffs was put in place in 2014, and no representations were submitted on the latest proposals.
Taxi vehicle licensees will have the right to appeal the council’s decision to the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland within 14 days.
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