TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1990
- 1
EXCO APPROVES URBAN TAXI FARE INCREASE
THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL TODAY (TUESDAY) APPROVED AN INCREASE IN FARE FOR URBAN TAXIS TO MEET RISING OPERATING COSTS.
THE NEW FARES WILL BE INTRODUCED ON SUNDAY, MAY 13, 1990.
THE REVISED FARES WILL BE $8 AT FLAGFALL FOR THE FIRST TWO KILOMETRES AND FROM 80 CENTS TO 90 CENTS FOR EVERY 0.25 KILOMETRES THEREAFTER. A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THIS WILL MEAN THAT THE AVERAGE FARE INCREASE IS 18 PER CENT.
THE WAITING TIME FOR EVERY ONE MINUTE WILL ALSO BE REVISED TO 90 CENTS FROM 80 CENTS.
IN ADDITION, OTHER SERVICE SURCHARGES WILL ALSO BE REVISED. FOR BACH ARTICLE OF BAGGAGE, ANIMAL OR BIRD, THE SURCHARGE WILL BE REVISED FROM $2 TO $3 WHILE RADIO-CALL BOOKING CHARGE WILL INCREASE FROM $1 TO $2.
COMBINED WITH THE INCREASES IN SERVICE SURCHARGES, THE TOTAL AVERAGE RATE OF FARE INCREASE WILL EXCEED 18 PER CENT.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID URBAN TAXI FARES WERE LAST REVISED IN JANUARY 1989. THE RADIO-CALL BOOKING SURCHARGE AND SURCHARGE ON BAGGAGE, ANIMALS OR BIRDS HAVE NOT BEEN REVISED SINCE MARCH 1987.
HE SAID THAT AFTER SUBMITTING THEIR APPLICATION FOR A FARE INCREASE ON THE GROUNDS OF INCREASED OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS, THE URBAN TAXI OPERATORS, TOGETHER WITH DRIVERS ASSOCIATIONS, MADE FURTHER REPRESENTATIONS TO THE ADMINISTRATION CONCERNING THE IMPACT OF THE INCREASE IN DIESEL TAX IMPLEMENTED ON MARCH 7 THIS YEAR.
A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT TO ASSESS THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF URBAN TAXIS IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR INDICATED THAT THE AVERAGE MONTHLY INCOME HAS INCREASED BY SEVEN PER CENT SINCE 1989, WHILE EXPENDITURE HAS INCREASED BY 14.6 PER CENT DURING THE SAME PERIOD.
ASSESSMENT BY THE DEPARTMENT ALSO SHOWED THAT THE DIESEL PRICE INCREASES SINCE THE LAST FARE REVISION HAD ALSO REDUCED TAXI DRIVERS' MONTHLY INCOME BY 7.2 PER CENT PER SHIFT.
INCREASED
DIESEL
AFTER OFFSETTING THE
PRICE AND ANTICIPATED RISE IN OPERATING COSTS IN THE COMING YEAR, THE APPROVED NEW FARES WILL STILL YIELD A NET INCREASE IN TAXI DRIVERS' MONTHLY INCOME OF ABOUT 12 PER CENT OVER LAST YEAR.
HE SAID THAT A $1 INCREASE IN RADIO-CALL BOOKING SURCHARGE BEEN APPROVED TAKING INTO ACCOUNT INFLATION IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
HAD
TAXI
THE INCREASE IN THE SURCHARGE ON THE CARRIAGE OF BAGGAGE, ANIMALS OR BIRDS WILL ALSO GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR DRIVERS.
/HE STRESSED