Taxi licensing fees and charges 2026-27
Open for comments from Monday 17 November to Sunday 14 December 2025.
Cambridge City Council review the fees and charges set for Hackney Carriage (taxi) and private hire licensing in Cambridge every year, and hold a consultation on proposed changes. The council are required to consult on any changes by law.
The proposed fees and charges have taken into consideration specific officers' roles and the cost of their time involved in the issuing and processing of applications, in addition to the administration and monitoring of compliance with conditions.
Where changes to fees are indicated, these have been made with reference to the costs involved in the work required, rather than taking a standardised approach.
How fees and charges have been calculated
Under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, Cambridge City Council has the authority to impose specific fees for taxi and private hire licences.
No profit can be made from licence fees and the council must carry forward any surplus costs associated, but can also recover any shortages.
We need to demonstrate that the fees we charge for such licences have been set in accordance with the law and best practice.
These fees help us pay for things like issuing licenses, managing them, checking they're used properly, and enforcing the rules.
Fees need to be set, so as to avoid either a surplus or a shortfall where possible. If necessary, we can alter the fees in the coming years to achieve and maintain a correct balance.
Have your say
You can have your say on the proposals until Sunday 14 December 2025.
Select the 'Take the survey' button on this page to leave your feedback.
A hard copy version of this survey can be downloaded here:
If you are completing a hard copy survey, please return it to our Customer Service Centre in person or via post at the following address:
Communications and Engagement Team, Customer Service Centre, Mandela House, 4 Regent Street, Cambridge, CB2 1BY
The survey closes on Sunday 14 December 2025. Any responses received after this date will not be considered.
If you are in need of any further assistance, please email us at communications@cambridge.gov.uk.
Next steps
Fees and charges agreed during the Licensing Committee meeting will come into effect from 1 April 2026.
Phases
Publish results
- Publish results from survey
Taxi licensing fees and charges 2026-27
Which of the following best describes you?
Do you object to the proposed changes?
If you object, please tell us why.
Many respondents objected to increases in taxi licensing fees, citing the rising cost of living and the difficulty of earning a reasonable wage as a taxi driver. Several mentioned competition from Uber and out-of-area drivers as making the situation worse for local drivers. There was a call for reduced or removed charges for existing drivers, with some suggesting that new drivers should face higher fees to address market saturation.
A number of respondents argued that lowering fees is illogical given inflation and cuts to public services, and that taxi drivers should not receive discounts when other services are being reduced. Some felt that licensing fees should be increased to discourage bad behaviour, such as illegal parking and misuse of taxi privileges. Concerns were raised about the safety and competence of drivers, with calls for stricter standards and better enforcement.
Some respondents wanted to keep costs down for the public, fearing that higher fees would lead to increased taxi fares. Others argued that public transport should be prioritised over taxis, and that incentives should be focused on zero emission vehicles, though one respondent objected to the concept of zero emission vehicles as discriminatory.
There were also comments about the complexity and high up-front costs of fees, which may prevent new drivers from entering the market and reduce competition. Some questioned the transparency and fairness of the fee structure and council decision-making, suggesting potential conflicts of interest.
Overall, the most common themes were concerns about affordability for drivers, the impact of fees on public costs, the need for fair and effective regulation, and differing views on whether fees should be increased or decreased.
Demographic of respondents
Respondents are invited to share some details about themselves as part of the registration process on our online engagement platform. This helps us better understand how representative the responses are of the people who live and work in Cambridge.
To ensure that the survey is accessible to as many people as possible, we do not make it compulsory to provide this data. The online engagement platform is continually working to improve how it presents this data.