Taxi license fees are set to rise from April 1 next year by eight per cent.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Planning, Taxi Licensing and Right of Way committee on Thursday, November 21, councillors received a report with proposals to increase the fees.

The proposal is subject to a month-long consultation process with taxi drivers.

Fees are calculated using a “toolkit” devised by the All-Wales Licensing Expert Panel with assistance from the council’s finance team.

The report explains that for 2025/2025 the taxi licensing team predict the eight per cent hike will see an increase of £6,300.

Licensing team manager, Natalie Jones said that this was to cost recovery of processing and administering the taxi licensing regime and “not for profit”.

Ms Jones said: “Cost prices between local authorities vary for a number of reasons such as the number of staff employed and their pay level at various stages of the process.”

She added that materials, supplier costs and the number of licences administered also differ across Wales.

Ms Jones said: “The fees for next year are based on last year’s (2023/2024) costs.

“We are confident that the fees we are proposing are fair and accurate and would stand up to any scrutiny.”

Cllr Gareth E Jones asked what would happen if the department made more or less money than the expected £6,300 next year.

Cllr Jones said: “This is the best estimate - do you check at the end of the year?”

Ms Jones said: “This is all based on what’s already happened.

“If there was a discrepancy we would have to incorporate it into the fees for the following year.”

Cllr Jones proposed that the committee accept the report and councillors voted unanimously to start the process with the month-long consultation.

Following the consultation a report will come back to the committee before the decision is implemented.

Hackney carriage private hire (1 year):  £155 –  going up from £150 this year.

Driver licence (3 years): £300 0 going up from £284 this year.

Private Hire Operators (5 years): £357 –  going up from £355 this year.

Knowledge test: £45 – up from £40 this year.

Driver licence figures are still below the levels from before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current number of licences are:

Driver licences – 502 – up from 475 last year.

Private Hire Operators – 65 – down from 67 last year.

Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Vehicles – 420 – up from 408 last year.