Revisions to the taxi tariff, approved by the Transport for London Board on 11 February 04, come into effect from Saturday 3 April 2004. These include a cost of living increase and other changes requested by the taxi trade.

Key points are as follows:

  • The average Tariff 1 (weekdays 6am-8pm) fare will increase by 2.8% in line with the cost index that takes into account taxi operating costs and increases in national average earnings.
  • Tariffs 2 and 3 (covering late evenings, nights and weekends) will also increase by an average 2.8% plus an additional 12p per journey, bringing the average increase at these times to about 4%.
  • £1 extra charge for journeys within London that start at Heathrow Airport.
  • No change to the minimum fare of £2.
  • No change to the supplementary charges for Christmas and New Year.
  • No change to the telephone booking charge of up to £2.
  • No change to the soiling charge of up to £40.

The additional 12p on Tariffs 2 and 3 is in recognition that last April's tariff revision under-compensated drivers working largely during the Tariff 2 and 3 periods for the withdrawal of separate extra charges. 28p was allowed in all tariff periods last year, but subsequent analysis showed the average actually charged during Tariffs 2 and 3 had been higher than this by up to 12p. The extra 12p together with the 28p already included in the fare for every journey undertaken at Tariff 2 and 3 will bring the total compensation in these periods to 40p, equal to the previous charge for one extra passenger.

The £1 for journeys starting at Heathrow Airport may only be charged on metered journeys within Greater London. The £1 is, in effect, a contribution from customers towards the airport charges incurred by drivers for serving the Heathrow ranks and providing the information and booking desks at the Heathrow terminals. The £1 extra charge will increase the average fare for Heathrow journeys terminating within Greater London by about 3%. Some 1% of licensed taxi journeys start at Heathrow Airport and so the extra charge will increase the London-wide average taxi fare by 0.1%.

Altogether, these changes will increase the average fare across the whole week by 3.4%, broadly in line with the annual increase in UK average earnings.

These changes represent a balanced package, which are fair to both drivers and passengers.

Attached is a table showing example fares under the current and new taxi tariffs. The new fares and tariffs table can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/pco.

Roy Ellis
Head of the Public Carriage Office


Example Fares

Journey
length		 Tariff 1 Tariff 2 Tariff 3
Miles Current New Change Current New Change Current New Change

Minimum

£2.00

£2.00

0.0%

£2.00

£2.00

0.0%

£2.00

£2.00

0.0%

0.5

£2.60

£2.60

0.0%

£2.80

£2.80

0.0%

£3.00

£3.20

6.7%

1.0

£3.40

£3.60

5.9%

£3.80

£4.00

5.3%

£4.40

£4.60

4.5%

1.5

£4.40

£4.40

0.0%

£5.00

£5.20

4.0%

£5.80

£6.00

3.4%

2.0

£5.20

£5.40

3.8%

£6.00

£6.20

3.3%

£7.20

£7.40

2.8%

2.5

£6.20

£6.40

3.2%

£7.20

£7.40

2.8%

£8.40

£8.80

4.8%

3.0

£7.00

£7.20

2.9%

£8.20

£8.60

4.9%

£9.80

£10.20

4.1%

3.5

£8.00

£8.20

2.5%

£9.20

£9.60

4.3%

£11.20

£11.60

3.6%

4.0

£8.80

£9.00

2.3%

£10.40

£10.80

3.8%

£12.60

£13.00

3.2%

4.5

£9.80

£10.00

2.0%

£11.40

£12.00

5.3%

£13.80

£14.40

4.3%

5.0

£10.60

£11.00

3.8%

£12.60

£13.00

3.2%

£15.20

£15.80

3.9%

6.0

£12.40

£12.80

3.2%

£14.80

£15.40

4.1%

£18.00

£18.60

3.3%

7.0

£15.00

£15.40

2.7%

£17.20

£18.00

4.7%

£20.40

£21.20

3.9%

8.0

£17.40

£18.00

3.4%

£19.80

£20.60

4.0%

£23.00

£23.80

3.5%

9.0

£20.00

£20.60

3.0%

£22.20

£23.20

4.5%

£25.40

£26.60

4.7%

10.0

£22.40

£23.20

3.6%

£24.80

£25.80

4.0%

£28.00

£29.20

4.3%

11.0

£25.00

£26.00

4.0%

£27.20

£28.60

5.1%

£30.40

£31.80

4.6%

12.0

£27.40

£28.60

4.4%

£29.80

£31.20

4.7%

£32.80

£34.40

4.9%

13.0

£30.00

£31.20

4.0%

£32.20

£33.80

5.0%

£35.40

£37.00

4.5%

14.0

£32.40

£33.80

4.3%

£34.80

£36.40

4.6%

£37.80

£39.60

4.8%

15.0

£35.00

£36.40

4.0%

£37.20

£39.00

4.8%

£40.40

£42.20

4.5%

16.0

£37.40

£39.00

4.3%

£39.60

£41.60

5.1%

£42.80

£45.00

5.1%

18.0

£42.40

£44.20

4.2%

£44.60

£46.80

4.9%

£47.80

£50.20

5.0%

20.0

£47.40

£49.60

4.6%

£49.60

£52.20

5.2%

£52.80

£55.40

4.9%

All example fares assume entire journey charged on distance rates