A rise in Fife taxi fares was defended by licensing committee members.
Prices are set to rise from December 8 following a decision by the council.
According to the committee report, cabs in the region already cost more than in Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross, as well as Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The Taxi Fare Scale Review Sub-committee recommended a 20p rise on the “flag” or initial charge. This will increase stage one fares from £3 to £3.20 and stage two from £3.75 to £3.95.
The chairman of the regulation and licensing committee, Bob Young, defended the above-inflation fare rise.
He said: “In Fife, there are no add-ons, so the fares can appear expensive up front. In other places, if you have a case or shopping, there will be a charge.
“I’m quite convinced it will be OK.”
The fare rise was requested by the taxi association after a small rise in 2013 and a freeze, also requested by the association, in 2012.
Donald Smith, a taxi driver from Kirkcaldy, does not think the fare rise will have much of an impact.
He said: “I don’t think it will make much difference to anyone.
“Twenty pence will hardly break the bank for our customers, especially when the whole fare is taken into account.
“And I don’t think it will make the drivers very rich off the back of it.”
Committee member Billy Pollock said: “Because of the recent increase in minimum wage, we need to make sure that those cab drivers who work for larger companies are able to get paid.
“Operators must pay the minimum wage. I think this is a fair increase.”
Another committee member, Tom Adams, said: “Last year there was a small rise and the year before it was the taxi association themselves who didn’t want the rise because of austerity and everything.
“I think the committee is happy enough to award the rise to them this time.”
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