Additional changes to taxi fares and tariffs

We propose some additional changes to taxi fares and tariffs, as follows:

Booked taxi extra

As well as being hailed on the street or hired at taxi ranks, London taxis can also be booked by phone, online or in an app. Up to £2.00 can be added to the fare when a taxi is booked by phone, app or online and this is known as the ’booked taxi extra’. We are aware that there are some circumstances where passengers are being charged the ‘booked taxi extra’ twice, as both the taxi booking company and taxi driver add it to the fare. We therefore propose to remove the booked taxi extra to prevent taxi passengers being charged this twice.

Starting and stopping the taximeter

While it is clear when the taximeter must be started and stopped for taxis hailed in the street or hired at a taxi rank, there are some issues with regards to when taxis are booked.

We’re aware that some taxi drivers start the taximeter when they accept a job in an app and then leave the taximeter running while they travel to the passenger’s pick-up location. This can mean that there is a significant amount on the taximeter even before the taxi has arrived at the pick-up location or the passenger has gotten into the taxi.

We are therefore proposing that for booked taxi journeys:

• The taximeter must only be started once the passenger is safely in the taxi and any mobility aids are safely loaded and secured, although taxi drivers would be able to start the taximeter later than this if they wanted to do so
  
  
• The taximeter must be stopped once the taxi has arrived at the passenger’s destination and the passenger is ready to pay, but before passengers have disembarked from the vehicle, although taxi drivers would be able to stop the taximeter sooner than this if they wanted to do so
  
  
• These requirements would apply to all booked taxi journeys, regardless of how the booking was made (e.g. by app, telephone, mobile phone, online, in person)

Making these changes would mean that taxi drivers cannot have the taximeter running while they drive to pick up a passenger and waiting time cannot be charged by taxi drivers.

We do not have the legal powers to regulate taxi booking companies, and these changes would not prevent taxi companies from charging fees (e.g. for waiting time or cancellations) but these additional charges could not be passed to the taxi driver and could not be added to the taximeter. We have called on the Government to give us the powers to regulate taxi booking companies to improve safety and security for passengers and drivers.

Taxi fares for longer journeys

The distance and time rates for journeys over six miles are sometimes referred to as Tariff 4. There has been some feedback that taxis have become uncompetitive for longer journeys and that Tariff 4 should be reviewed.

Therefore, to help make taxi fares for longer journeys less expensive we are proposing to change Tariff 4 so that when a journey reaches 12 miles the tariff rate would switch to the Tariff 1 rates. This would mean that after 12 miles the fare increases at a lower rate, as Tariff 1 is the lowest/cheapest tariff.

We have prepared a supporting factsheet which expands on the information on this page.