ALTON taxi drivers have registered strong and united objection to the way in which East Hampshire District Council has handled the recent increase in taxi and private hire licence fees. Despite understanding the need to pay a licence fee, and for a possible increase, they feel EHDC has not been able to justify a 4.1 per cent rise, and they are demanding to see the supporting accounts. Although the new fees came into effect on April 1, a notice advertising the fact was not posted in the press until three days later. While it is a statutory requirement for fees to be published and a period of 28 days given so that objections can be made, taxi drivers attending the special meeting at Penns Place on Thursday last week were angered by the lack of considered consultation. The meeting had been called by EHDC following the submission of five letters of objection from Alton taxi drivers. While it fell within the 28-day period, the drivers only received copies of the accounts, on which the decision to increase the licence fees was based, 50 minutes before the start of the meeting. They asked for a deferment but it could not be granted because councillors were forced to make a decision there and then, to meet a statutory obligation to introduce the agreed fees within two months of the original date. Alton Taxi Association chairman Hugo Wilson points out that while the meeting had heard that the increase was necessary to meet a £9,500 deficit in administering the licensing service and that EHDC could not be seen to be subsidising private enterprise, there had been no previous year accounts to show how the deficit had been accrued. "We are not objecting to an increase in licence fees but we do want to know if we are getting value for money," said Mr Wilson. At last Thursday's meeting there had been no opportunity for the taxi drivers to ask questions and the councillor they had nominated to speak on their behalf, Allan Chick (Alton Whitedown), had been thwarted in his request for a deferral. Spurred on by the need to balance the books, councillors accepted the need to reach a decision and voted for the proposed increase but with a proviso that a full review of the licence would be undertaken next year, with any necessary adjustments made and time given for proper consultation. The only councillor to question the rationale behind the decision was Andrew Joy (Alton Ashdell) who pointed out an anomaly in that even with the proposed increase it would not cover the £9,500 deficit. Deputy leader David Parkinson (Petersfield) responded by suggesting that, because of the economic climate, to impose charges that would immediately balance the books would be difficult for the taxi drivers. It was, he felt, better to apply a gradual increase over time.
