Rochford District Council’s agreed taxi fare rise has divided councillors over who pays most — short-trip vulnerable passengers or cost-pressed drivers.
Coverage mirrors the Echo report: from 1 October daytime Monday–Saturday first 440 yards rise from £4 to £4.50, the first change since May 2024, with later yardage rates unchanged. Councillor Angela Sutton said dumping the whole 50p on the flag gives pensioners and mobility-impaired riders an immediate 12.5% hit on brief trips, while longer journeys barely move, and asked why distance rates were not adjusted for fuel. Chair Tina Hughes, a former cabbie, said drivers face training, licensing, finance, maintenance, fuel and insurance and backed the 50p flag rise as fair amid cost-of-living pressure.