FOI request (FOIR-649541840)

Taxi Drivers

Requested Tue 24 September 2024
Responded Mon 23 December 2024

I would like to make a Freedom of Information request for the following, please.

For the years 2021, 2022, and 2023:

1. How many taxi drivers were licensed by your council, and how much did a 1-year and a 3-year licence cost?

2. Please state whether there are different prices for new and renewal licenses.

3. How many vehicles were licensed by your council (please break these down into Private Hire and Hackney Carriage), and how much did the vehicle licence cost for those years above?

4. Please state whether there are different prices for new and renewal licenses.

5. Please can you also let me know what was the total operating cost (expenditure) and the income received for the taxi licensing in your annual accounts?

6. Finally, can you let me know how many staff you have for taxi licensing in your department, please?

Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

1. How many taxi drivers were licensed by your council, and how much did a 1-year and a 3-year licence cost?

Answer:

2021 - 181 licensed

2022 - 326 licensed

2023 - 419 licensed

Fees were the same for each year, £163 for 1 year and £403 for 3 years.

2. Please state whether there are different prices for new and renewal licenses.

Answer:

None

3. How many vehicles were licensed by your council (please break these down into Private Hire and Hackney Carriage), and how much did the vehicle licence cost for those years above?

Answer:

Private Hire:

2021 - No data held

2022 - 269

2023 - 454

at cost of £249

Hackney Carriage:

2021 - No data held

2022 - 47

2023 - 72

at cost of £249

4. Please state whether there are different prices for new and renewal licenses.

Answer:

None

5. Please can you also let me know what was the total operating cost (expenditure) and the income received for the taxi licensing in your annual accounts?

Answer:

Total Operating Cost:

2021 - £128,649.07

2022 - £124,620.57

2023 - £132,327.66

Total Income:

2021 - £158,819.12

2022 - £206,049.11

2023 - £221,137.27

6. Finally, can you let me know how many staff you have for taxi licensing in your department, please?

Answer:

2x staff predominantly work on taxi licensing with the other 4x licensing staff spending a proportion of their time on taxi licensing.