Councillors are to consider a request from hackney carriage drivers to increase taxi fares for most journeys by 50p.

A report going before Hartlepool Borough Council licensing committee on Friday (June 21) suggests increasing the cost of the fixed start fee for journeys, known as the “flag fall”, by 50p, taking it from £2.50 to £3.

The increase would apply to the two hackney carriage tariffs which cover the period between 7am and midnight each day.

Separate pricing structures are in place on bank holidays and during the festive period from 7am on Christmas Eve to 7am on January 2, which the rise would not apply to.

The proposal also includes a 50p increase to the additional charge which can be implemented by drivers when they carry five or more passengers in their vehicle at any one time, which is also currently £2.50.

The increases have been requested by members of the hackney carriage trade to “reflect an increase in their running costs and to ensure they make a reasonable living”, according to the council report.

All 81 hackney carriage owners have been consulted on the proposed rise, with 16 in favour and eight against, with the others making no comment.

Council officers added experience has shown it is “extremely difficult to obtain 100% agreement from the hackney carriage trade” on such decisions.

The proposed tariffs represent “the highest fare that can legally be charged and it is entirely permissible for a hackney carriage driver to charge a lower fare if they wish”, according to local authority chiefs.

A report from council officers ahead of Friday’s meeting recommends the committee “approves the proposed increase in hackney carriage tariffs”.

It said: “Any increase in tariffs must reflect a balance between allowing licensed drivers to generate a reasonable income whilst representing value for money for the travelling public.”

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Hackney carriage journeys are also subject to further costs on top of the initial fixed start fee, which increase based on distance travelled, and these fees would not change as part of the proposals.

Should the alterations be approved a public notice will be issued to inform residents, and if any objections are received within 14 days it will be referred back to the licensing committee before implementation.

The increases would only be for Hartlepool’s yellow hackney cabs that use designated taxi ranks, and would not apply to private hire vehicles.