Plans to increase taxi fares in Angus have been rejected.
Members of Angus Council’s civic licensing committee voted against a price hike for fares in the area.
It comes after a total of 49 drivers and operators opposed plans by the local authority to increase tariffs by around 6% in the area, despite councillors voting in favour of the option in May.
Taxi operators and drivers claimed costs such as fuel have reduced since the last review, meaning a hike would not be justified.
Deputy leader of Angus Council Paul Valentine said the number of objections from operators and drivers meant the proposals had to be rejected.
He said: “The feeling was this wouldn’t have benefited the operators and drivers due to the number of representations against the proposals that we had.
“In these kind of cases, you have to take the views of operators and drivers into account because it’s affecting their livelihoods and we must protect that.
“The number of objections gave us a clear message that we had to turn this down.
“If we had known the number of objections in May, I think the proposals would have been turned down then.”
At present, county fares ring up £3.50 for the first 1,160 yards.
But under the proposals, the prices would have increased by 20p for one mile journeys, rising to £1.90 for 15 mile journeys for hires between 6am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Those travelling between 6pm and 6am Monday to Friday, and from 6pm Friday until 6am on Monday, would have been faced with having to pay an extra £2.30 for 15-mile journeys.
For the third tariff, which involves journeys between 6pm on Christmas Eve through to 6am on December 27 and from 6pm on Hogmanay through to 6am on January 3, the plans would have added an extra £3 to 15-mile journeys.