PLANS have been backed to align taxi licensing fees across the whole of North Yorkshire.
The plans bring together hackney carriage and private hire licensing fees ahead of the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council – which will become the sole licensing authority when it comes to power on April 1.
Currently, the existing seven borough and district councils in North Yorkshire set their own hackney carriage and private hire licensing fees.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) said the decision meets national legislation, which states “local authorities should not make a profit and demonstrate the charges have been sufficiently set to cover associated costs.”
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The proposed fee for a 12-month hackney carriage licence is £350 or £280 for a renewal, while a private hire vehicle is £330 or £265 for a renewal.
Drivers will still be able to apply for a three-year licence for a hackney carriage, a private hire vehicle or both categories, which provides financial savings.
These fees would only apply when applying for a new licence or renewing an existing licence after April 1.
Drivers with an existing licence that is still valid will not need to renew until the expiry date shown.
NYCC’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said the proposed fees will ensure that passengers can “continue to travel safely and maintain hackney carriage stands, as well as the enforcement of the licences, without creating an additional cost to the taxpayer.”
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From today (January 23), the proposed fees will be subject to a statutory 28-day notice period for people to share their views by emailing taxiconsultation@northyorks.gov.uk
The outcome of the consultation will be presented to NYCC’s executive in February.
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