TAXI fares are set to rise in Kirklees.
Kirklees Hackney Carriage Association has put in a request to the council for an increase - the first in two and a half years.
Drivers say the rise, which varies between 8.7% and 9.8%, is being made because of rising costs, in particular fuel and insurance.
The fee for a 1 mile journey in the cheapest tariff (between 6am and 11pm) is expected to rise from £2.30 to £2.50.
There are four pricing bands depending on the time of day and the number of passengers.
Increases are also requested for waiting time and luggage carried outside the passenger compartment.
And special rates will apply on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Mr Doug Holliday, Kirklees Council's group licensing officer, said taxi fares in Kirklees were not particularly high.
"I have a chart which lists the fees charged by 376 different authorities in England and Wales, the first being the most expensive, and we are at number 282," he said.
Calderdale Council's Hackney carriages are at number 216, Bradford at 192 and Leeds at 108.
"Nationally in England and Wales we are well down in our charges because taxi drivers are trying to give good value for money and keep the customers."
He said the fee for a one-mile journey in Luton - the most expensive in Britain - costs £4.50 compared with £2.30 in Kirklees in the cheapest tariff.
Councillors will determine the bid for a fares increase next Monday. The new fares could be brought in before Christmas.
Related stories
