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Regtransfers.co.uk calculated the average cost per mile for a taxi in some of the UK’s most populated cities to create an interactive map that uncovers the fluctuating costs of cab fares.
New data released today from private number plate specialists Regtransfers.co.uk have combined local authority data to create an original data set and interactive map to highlight the average cost of a taxi in 25 of the most populated cities in the UK.
The image of the black cab is as quintessentially British as the Union flag or Big Ben, and for uncountable numbers of tourists, the black taxi is the first thing to greet them upon arrival to the UK and the last thing they’ll see before leaving again. But how often do you get in one and think you’re getting ripped off, especially because you’re often unsure of how much your ride will cost until you get to your destination? Everyone has been in a situation, where: sat in the backseat of a cab, eye on the meter, fretting about how much it’s going to cost. However, you’ve probably also felt that utter relief and joy on seeing the friendly, familiar car driving towards them, yellow light aflame in the rain. With that in mind, and in light of the fact that Hackney taxis have an increasingly bad reputation for being overpriced, Regtransfers.co.uk today released the UK Taxi Price Index. The UK Taxi Price Index aims to shine a spotlight on the cost of a cab in the UK. A price guide for when you are traveling around the country, the index rates cities according to the minimum fare and average cost per mile. The average cost per mile was calculated on the basis of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5-mile journeys in each city.
The research found that in some cities in the UK, people are paying almost 45% more for their taxi journey compared to elsewhere in the country. That’s a big disparity in cab fares. With reports of Hackney carriage fares on the rise up and down the country, you might expect that the capital would come with predictably pricey fares, but London is the 5th most expensive city to hail a cab, with an average cost per mile of £2.99. Coventry is the city that tops the rankings with the most expensive taxi journeys, with an average cost per mile of £3.11.
Coventry is also the home of the black cab. LTC (the London Taxi Company) first started building black cabs in Holyhead Road in Coventry in 1919, but then went into administration in 2012. Production of the famous black cabs restarted in Coventry in 2013 and LTC has now opened a new £300 million factory to make 5,000 electric black cabs per year in the UK. The UK Taxi Price Index reveals the top 10 most expensive cities to hail a cab based on an average cost per mile are: Coventry = £3.11 Leeds = £3.06 Oxford = £3.04 Cambridge = £3.03 London = £2.99 Bristol = £2.90 Southampton = £2.89 Birmingham = £2.82 Manchester = £2.81 Stoke-on-Trent = £2.72 The UK Taxi Price Index reveals the top 10 cheapest cities to hail a cab based on an average cost per mile are: Liverpool = £2.15 Edinburgh = £2.22 Brighton = £2.28 Kingston = £2.45 Swansea = £2.45 Belfast = £2.45 Sunderland = £2.53 Bradford = £2.53 Leicester = £2.60 Nottingham = £2.61 The total number of licensed taxi and private hire vehicles and licensed drivers in England reached record levels in 2017.
Total licensed vehicle numbers increased by 16% to 281,000 since 2015, the highest number since comparable records were first collected in 2005. The index offers an interesting insight into the UK’s cab fares. For more information on the cities with the cheapest and priciest cab fares you can visit: www.regtransfers.co.uk
