TAXI fares in Bury could rise, it has been warned, unless council bosses give drivers a fairer licence deal.

A court ruling has forced local authorities across the UK to re-think how they set annual licensing fees for taxi drivers.

Some councils have put fees up and, though Bury has reduced the fees by £3.33 a year, some drivers believe it could be cheaper.

Charles Oakes, chairman of the Hackney Drivers' Association, which represents dozens of black-cab drivers in Bury, said members of the public could still bear the brunt of fare rises.

"I am taking this stand not just for the drivers I represent, but for every resident of Bury," said Mr Oakes.

He continued: "For a long time now, taxi drivers have been squeezed and costs keep rising.

"They are struggling to make a profit and yet they have held off pressing for fare rises for a long time because they don't want to charge people more, but how long can that last?"

Councils used to charge taxi drivers £60 a year for their licence, but Mr Oakes claims that the new fee of £170 for a three-year licence could be even cheaper, and has called on licensing officials to publish figures to explain how the fee was worked out.

A council spokesman said: "Drivers actually pay £10 less for a three-year licence than they would have done paying annually over the next three years.
     
"Our licensing service is committed to ongoing communication and has been sharing information on this matter with both hackney carriage and private hire licensed drivers since July 2014.

"A meeting is currently being arranged with Mr Oakes and relevant parties to discuss matters affecting the trade."

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BISHOP AUCKLAND
 
 A TAXI driver who lost his business, home and has been left severely disabled following a car crash involving a drink driver has warned of the tragic consequences of getting behind the wheel when drunk.

Keith Foster was on his last call of the night near Bishop Auckland when he was critically hurt in the crash which claimed the life of the other driver involved.

Kieran Arkless, 23, from Willington, near Crook, was over the drink drive limit when his Ford Focus was in a head-on smash with Mr Foster’s Skoda Octavia taxi on a bend on the A689 near Newton Cap viaduct at around 12.30am on December 14.

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