KIRKLEES Tories have branded Council plans to increase taxi licences ‘a disgrace’ and say the move will ‘destroy’ the lives of drivers already hit by the recession.

The comments came after Huddersfield taxi drivers announced they were going on strike on Friday, May 1 to protest against the new licence charges.

Last week the Council’s cabinet decided to increase the annual fee for driver licence renewal by 62% from £37 to £60.

Licences for Hackney carriage cars will rise from £106 to £135 and for private hire cabs from £125 to £135.

Private hire vehicle fees will go up from £327 to £380.

Kirklees cabinet member Clr David Sheard said the 50p-a-week rise was needed to fund the regulation of a safe taxi service in Kirklees.

But Conservative Clr Khizar Iqbal slammed the increases, saying they were disproportionate and outrageous – particularly during a recession.

“There is currently a recession, people are finding it difficult to make ends meet and we are supposedly in a period of negative inflation,’’ he said.

“Are they trying to destroy the people who earn their living in this trade which is, after all, a vital form of public transport?

“These increases are a disgrace. They will drive individuals and companies out of business.

“They will have a knock-on effect on businesses in our town centres who rely on taxis to take their customers home in the early hours of the morning and if there is a reduction in the number of taxis available to get people home it will make our streets less safe at night.

“The council has shown no forethought with these measures, they have shown no consideration for taxi drivers or their customers and the lack of consultation that has taken place over these rises is appalling.”

But Clr Sheard defended the decision.

“We regulate the service and restrict the number of taxis on the road,’’ he said. “To do that, we have to pay for a survey every three years which costs about £20,000.

“We don’t think it is fair that ratepayers should subsidise that.

“If we don’t raise the money, are we meant to subsidise it out of rates or do we lower our controls on taxis?

“At the moment we have a very safe taxi system in Kirklees and I don’t think we should be asked to ease up on that.”

He said taxi drivers stormed out of a Cleckheaton meeting with the licensing committee earlier this week.