Thousands of Greater Manchester taxi drivers are 'registering in the Midlands' because of high fees
manchestereveningnews.co.ukTaxi drivers in Bury have protested rises in licence fees which they say makes it ‘increasingly hard’ for them to operate. Taxi trade leaders say fees charged in the borough are higher than those in Wolverhampton, where many drivers register and then work in Bury.
Earlier this year figures showed there were 21,853 private hire drivers licensed with the City of Wolverhampton Council. Of those, 4,049, were drivers who were registered at the time of their application as being in Greater Manchester.
In February, Bury Council approved increases in fees and charges for 2023/2024. The new charging regime should have come into operation on the May 4 but have been delayed due to opposition from drivers and private hire operators. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features The change would see a yearly licence for taxis over three years old rise from £294 to £320 while operators with more than three vehicles would see their yearly licence charge rise from £410 to £450.
There are currently 752 private hire vehicles, 33 hackney carriage vehicles and 28 private hire operators licensed in Bury. Bury Council said the total cost of the taxi licensing service for the financial year 2022/23 was £372,000 and the total income received by the service was £327,000.
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