Taxi fares may rise again

Black cab fares may rise for a fifth time in three years after taxi drivers successfully lobbied to have recent price changes reviewed.

Taxi drivers were incensed by the changes introduced in April by Transport for London (TfL).

The transport body abolished traditional "extras" - a flat-rate surplus charge for luggage and multiple passengers. Drivers said they were losing money and threatened to bring central London to a standstill by blockading roads around Trafalgar Square in a series of protests.

Now, following a meeting with black cab drivers' representatives, London Mayor Ken Livingstone has agreed to reconsider allowing cabbies to make these charges. Mr Livingstone said: "I have always listened to taxi drivers' representatives and take their views seriously. I will continue to do so."

If the Mayor gives the go-ahead it will be the fifth change in fares since 2000.

From April, taxi drivers have been able to charge a minimum fare of £2 for short journeys, up from the previous £1.40, but were forbidden from adding on a 38p extra charge for luggage or passengers. But drivers say the minimum charge fare applies to just one per cent of journeys so they are losing income overall.

TfL says the changes were designed to make taxi charging more transparent. There are already three set tariffs for different times of day and the final fare customers pay depends on a complicated meter calculation of how long the journey takes and how far it is.

A typical fare usually works out at 20p for every 30 seconds, but it can vary widely.

At a meeting with the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), Mr Livingstonepromised to give ground on the "extras" issue and backtracked on taxis being banned from certain bus lanes such as those near Angel Tube station in Islington. He promised to look again at new rules which would require all taxis to be retired after 12 years of service.

Taxi drivers welcomed the moves. "We are delighted with how the meeting went," said John Thomas of the LTDA.

But Rufus Barnes of the London Transport Users Committee said: "Any decision by the Mayor to revert to the old charging system must be transparent and not used as an excuse to increase fares over and above any inflation-linked proposals already under consideration for 2003."