Taxi fare increases in Waveney have been approved following a calculation error.

A cost rise of at least £1 across all hackney carriage tariffs was agreed by the district council’s licensing committee on Monday, October 17, for the northern part of the district.

A consultation on a new table of fares returned a comment about problems with calculations by a private taxi operator.

The fare proposal submitted by a group of hackney carriage drivers and accepted for consultation by the council would have meant the meter dropped to the next payment level too quickly.

At most, this would have meant the passenger would have started to be charged at the next rate 18 seconds earlier than they should have.

The calculation used for the agreed table of fares has been checked by an independent meter agent.

The approved rates for 7am to 11pm are £4 for the first 805 metres or five minutes and 17 seconds, and 20p for each following 114 metres or 45 seconds.

The previous rates for those times were £3 for the first 903 metres or five minutes and three seconds, and 20p for each following 134 metres or 45 seconds.

The approved rates for 11pm to 7am are £4.40 for the first 640 metres or three minutes and 18 seconds, and 20p for each following 97 metres or 30 seconds.

Previously, this rate was £3.20 for the first 721 metres or three minutes and nine seconds, and 20p for each following 111 metres or 29 seconds.

The approved rates for Christmas and New Year are £7 for the first 1,152 metres or four minutes and 12 seconds, and 20p for each following 91 metres or 20 seconds.

This was increased from £5.60 for the first 1,317 metres or four minutes and two seconds, and 20p for each following 98 metres or 18 seconds.

Each additional passenger after four and up to eight will cost 80p under the new fares. Under the previous system, the cost for more than two additional passengers was 30p each and the cost for more than four was 90p each.

The 30p luggage cost has been scrapped, while soiling a vehicle will now cost up to £60.

Of 139 hackney carriage drivers in the north of the district who were consulted, two returned objections.

Both objectors referred to a cost of £360 for a new meter, which some drivers will need if their metres are too old to be recalibrated to the new fare system.

Officers suggested there were cheaper meters and a councillor pointed to the fact that the new table of fares was decided on with drivers.