William Eichler 12 December 2019

Wakefield council ‘overcharging’ cabbies, court rules

A court has ruled that Wakefield council were overcharging local taxi drivers for a licence to trade in what could prove to be a landmark case.

The High Court ruled last December that the council’s £384 fee it charges taxi drivers for a licence to trade was unlawful.

The local authority argued that the fee was needed for recovering the costs of licensing the vehicles, as well as policing the local industry.

Taxi drivers have insisted the fees should only pay for licensing.

Wakefield council appealed the High Court’s decision arguing that it was ‘unclear’. They lost the appeal and are therefore required to compensate taxi drivers.

‘The legal position as to where enforcement costs could be attributed was unclear and today’s judgement has clarified that the costs of enforcement should be met by the taxi trade through fees and should not be subsidised by the council tax payer,’ said Glynn Humphries, service director for environment and streetscene.

‘We very much welcome the clarity from today’s judgement but are disappointed we didn’t get this in the High Court last year, which would have saved everyone involved time and money.’

‘The council will now review our position in light of the judgement and set up a process to enable drivers to log any claims as easily as possible and try and ensure we assess the claims as quickly as we can,’ Cllr Humphries added.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Casual Duty Managers (Sports Centres)

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
£14.28 per hour plus 12.07% holiday relief pay al
Casual Duty Managers (Sports Centres)
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth

Community Support Worker - Centralised Safeguarding Triage

Essex County Council
£25395.00 - £32131.00 per annum + +26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Community Support Worker - Centralised Safeguarding TriagePermanent, Full Time£25,395 to £32,131 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Mechanical Engineer (Gas) - Harlow District Council

Essex County Council
Up to £450.0000 per day
Mechanical Engineer (Gas) Location, HarlowFull time, Temporary 6-12 Months £350.88 PAYE / £450.00 Umbrella Closing Date
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Principal Planner - Basildon Borough Council

Essex County Council
£50 - £55 per hour
Principal Planner - Basildon Borough Council Full-Time, Temporary 6 Months Contract 36.25 hours£50-£55 per hour Umbrella Closing Date
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Principal Systems Analyst Applications

Oxfordshire County Council
£46412 - £49282
The ICT Principal Systems Analyst will be the subject matter expert on the Children's Social Care and Early Help Applications. They will be aware of and will contribute to Application roadmap developments, keep abreast of legislative changes and customer Oxford
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council
Linkedin Banner