Fuel price rise makes profit 'tricky' for taxis

A taxi driver from Shrewsbury has said increased costs in fuel make his industry "a very tricky way to make a living."

Over the past few weeks, petrol prices have been increasing across the country due to the US-Israel war with Iran.

Because of this, those with jobs on the road, like taxi driver Stewart Jones, are having to absorb the cost.

He said everything has gone up - including insurance, taxes, fuel and maintenance - and it is hard to maintain a living.

Jones has been a hackney carriage driver for nearly 25 years.

He said he cannot increase his prices as taximeter are calibrated by the local authority.

"Most of the other petrol stations were 142.9, [but I have] just driven past ASDA and it's 157.9," Jones said.

"Down in Devon and Cornwall I've seen it for like 179, 180, so it's not good."

He believed, in towns the size of Shrewsbury, most people only hail black cabs from the station taxi rank.

"I have not been hailed [whilst driving] for more than two months," he said.

"What people don't realise is we've not only got to get to a destination, we've also got to get back to the train station.

Jones added drivers are "not getting paid" to go back to the rank, which "makes it tricky."

"We can't do anything like that, so we charge the metre price and we provide a good service and if we get a tip off a customer, that's great," Jones added.

"It's not compulsory obviously but it does help."

According to Shropshire Council, to renew a Hackney Carriage Vehicle license it costs £206 and will rise to £231.

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