South Tyneside Council's Licensing and Regulatory Committee agreed on Friday 30 October 2026 to open a 14-day consultation on an 18 per cent rise in hackney carriage fares. The council last agreed a rise in August 2022. The increase before that was in 2019.
The proposal covers the initial hiring charge and the distance elements of tariff one, from 7am to 10pm, and tariff two, from 10pm to 7am. A further increase was also put forward for the bus tariff. Hackney carriages can be hailed, taken from a rank, or pre-booked. The council sets the maximum fare. Operators in the borough run hackney carriages and private hire vehicles together, so a change to the table can affect the wider trade. Taxi meters and charges
The current table
The council's published tariff one starts at £2.40 for the first 146.66 yards or 30 seconds. The meter then adds 20p for every 146.66 yards or 30 seconds up to one mile, and 20p for every 185.26 yards or 30 seconds after that. Tariff two starts at £2.60 for the first 146.66 yards or 30 seconds, then 20p for every 146.66 yards or 30 seconds. On the published table, tariff two also covers weekends from 6pm on Friday until 7am on Saturday and from 6pm on Saturday until 7am on Monday, the eve of bank and public holidays from 6pm until 7am the next morning, and from 6pm on 24 December until 7am on 2 January.
The published bus tariff applies only when five or more passengers are carried. It starts at £8 for 1,760 yards or 520 seconds, then 20p for every 135.38 yards or 40 seconds. From 6pm on Friday until 7am on Monday the bus tariff starts at £9 for 1,760 yards or 600 seconds, then 20p for every 117.33 yards or 40 seconds.
A private hire operator can set a separate scale of charges.
The request
The committee considered a request backed by more than 30 licensed South Tyneside hackney carriage drivers. The letter asked the council to come into line with some private hire operators in the borough and with some neighbouring councils.
The letter said the cost of living and operating costs had "increased considerably" over the last four years. Set against inflation, it put the 18 per cent figure at a "real-terms increase of only around 1.2 per cent overall". The rise was about "restoring purchasing power lost since 2022", and about a "reasonable balance between keeping fares affordable for passengers and ensuring that hackney carriage work remains commercially viable."
Licensing officers noted that South Tyneside's hackney carriage fares were amongst the lowest in the region, and that the proposals were "not significantly out of step" with other charges in the North East.
Councillors were told that about 230 hackney carriages are licensed with the council, and members asked about the possible effects of a higher fare.
What happens next
A public notice will invite written submissions to the council's licensing department. The Licensing and Regulatory Committee will consider any objections before it reaches a final decision.