Rural taxi and private hire operators in the West of England say soaring fuel is crushing margins.
BBC and PHTM quote Pieter-Jon Allis of Stroud Taxi calling it a “complete nightmare”: fuel is his main daily cost, half of calls are quote comparisons with Uber, and he is pressed to match fares from 15 years ago. Regional petrol averages about £1.70 in Bristol but rural sites such as Hullavington in Wiltshire have charged £2.40. Drivers cannot easily pass costs on without losing work.