Taxi drivers across Tunbridge Wells can breath a sigh of relief after councillors decided on leniency and voted to scrap plans for rises in licensing fees.

Back in December, members of the borough's licensing panel had approved plans put forward by officers for a raft on increases for both hackney carriage and private hire drivers - subject to the results of a consultation.

But after hearing the comments from taxi drivers, councillors last night changed their minds and voted to retain the current fees.

Among the taxi drivers responding to the consultation, Danny Johnson had said: "My trade is down so far that I am on the brink of packing it all in. This is a kick in the teeth."

Medhat Khechine said: "It’s very hard times for all of us. I was expecting some kind of support not your asking for more money!"

Clayton Berry said: "The industry is already on its knees."

Yahya Nasir said trade was so poor that he had spent four hours waiting at the train station and made only £4.

Officers explained that the service currently ran at a loss to the council, with fees failing to cover the cost of carrying out vehicle checks, issuing licences and maintaining taxi stands.

The current shortfall was £4,897 year.

It had been proposed to increase a three-year dual driving licence from £265 to £271, and a private hire operators licence for five years from £570 to £584, plus a raft of other increases, which together would have recouped an estimated £1,800 of the deficit in a year.

But councillors unanimously agreed that although in principle fees should match costs, the middle of a pandemic was not the time to put up charges.

Cllr Andy Fairweather (Con) said: "Taxi drivers are in extreme difficulties."

Cllr Frank Williams (Con) said he knew of drivers who had resorted to making Deliveroo deliveries because they couldn't find fares.

Cllr Mark Ellis said taxi drivers were barely scraping a living and warned: "I don't think the taxi business is going to bounce back quickly."

Cllr Bob Backhouse (Con) said: "We agree the principle that the user should pay (a charge to meet the cost), but these are exceptional circumstances."

But Gary Stevenson, the council's head of health, housing and environment warned that, although a greater deficit could be absorbed this year, when the charges were reviewed next December, there would be an even bigger shortfall to make up.

In addition, the taxi drivers are not entirely off the hook.

The council has introduced a new additional test this year called the EQUO which is intended to raise drivers' understanding around matters such as child sexual exploitation, safeguarding, disability awareness and county lines.

The fee for that is £66, but it is a one-off test with no requirement for it to be renewed at each licence.

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