http://www.indycabstirling.com/, https://www.stirling.gov.uk/business-and-licences/licences-permits-and-permissions/taxi

Indy Cabs, 2 Gogar Place, Stirling (2026)

04/09/2026

STIRLING TAXI FARE REVIEW: QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FIGURES

Yesterday, we posted a full breakdown showing what the proposed 11.7% increase could mean for customers and how it would affect the cost of different journeys.

Today, we are looking more closely at the information used to calculate and support that proposed increase.

We are not asking customers or members of the taxi trade to either accept or object to the proposals. Everyone should make their own decision after considering all the available information.

However, we believe people need to know about the errors, discrepancies and unanswered questions contained within the published report.

Stirling Council commissioned and paid an independent consultant to undertake this review. As far as we can see, the following issues were not identified or addressed before the report was presented to the Planning and Regulation Panel and approved for consultation:

🔴 The 2026 report contains two different annual fuel-cost figures: £6,212.50 on page 9 and £5,653.30 in the final calculation on page 11.

🔴 The £6,212.50 figure is identical to the fuel cost used in the 2023 review, suggesting that it may have been copied forward.

🔴 The calculation still assumes 40,000 miles annually, based on odometer information collected for the 2023 review. No new mileage assessment, sample size or reading dates are provided.

🔴 The report states that around 91% of the fleet is diesel, but this does not appear to reflect the current licensing register. No separate operating-cost assessment is provided for electric or hybrid taxis.

🔴 Most importantly, the published 2024 report calculated annual taxi operating costs at £76,467.07—including £63,222 for driver earnings.

The 2026 report has now restated the 2024 cost as £50,893.02—£25,574.05 lower—without clearly reconciling the difference or explaining how the driver-earnings calculation changed.

The 2024 driver figure was based on assumed Scottish national earnings of £35,518, multiplied by 1.78 licensed drivers per vehicle. It was not based on actual earnings reported by Stirling taxi drivers.

🔴 The report compares inflation and the UK median two-mile fare with the proposed increase, but it does not show Stirling’s current or proposed position in the national fare table.

These points do not automatically mean that taxi fares should—or should not—increase. Taxi drivers face genuine increases in fuel, insurance, maintenance and other operating costs.

Our concern is about the quality and transparency of the evidence being presented to the taxi trade, the public and elected members.

When an 11.7% increase is being proposed for passengers, the calculations supporting it should be accurate, current, transparent and capable of being independently checked.

The consultation is open until 7 October 2026.

You can read the report and submit your comments through Engage Stirling:

https://engage.stirling.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/taxi-fare-review-2026

Please read the information, look at the figures and make your own informed response.

03/09/2026

STIRLING TAXI FARE REVIEW—PUBLIC AND TRADE CONSULTATION NOW OPEN

Stirling Council’s Planning and Regulation Panel considered the 2026 Taxi Fare Review Report on Tuesday 1 September.

The Panel approved the proposals for consultation with the taxi trade and the public.

📅 Consultation opened: Wednesday 2 September 2026
📅 Consultation closes: Wednesday 7 October 2026

⚠️ No fare increase has been approved at this stage.

This consultation is an opportunity for taxi drivers, operators and members of the public to comment on the proposals before the Panel makes its final decision.

WHY IS A REVIEW TAKING PLACE?

Under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, the Council must review and fix its taxi-fare scales within 18 months of the previous scales coming into effect.

A review does not automatically mean that fares must increase. The Council can increase, reduce, restructure or retain the existing fares after considering the evidence and consultation responses.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

▪️ The trade and public can submit their views until 7 October.
▪️ Council officers will consider the responses.
▪️ The results and recommended next steps will return to the Planning and Regulation Panel.
▪️ The Panel will then decide whether to approve, change or reject the proposals.
▪️ If new fares are fixed, the decision must be advertised and eligible parties have 14 days to appeal.
▪️ An appeal would suspend the introduction of the new fare scales until it was resolved.
▪️ New fares could only operate from the approved effective date.
▪️ Each taxi meter would first need to be updated and tested by Stirling Council.

HOW WAS THE PROPOSED 11.7% CALCULATED?

The proposed increase comes from a consultant’s estimated taxi operating-cost model:

2024 estimated cost: £50,893.02
2026 estimated cost: £56,816.61
Calculated difference: £5,923.59—approximately 11.7%

This calculation should not be presented as evidence that the whole taxi trade requested or supports an 11.7% increase.

The cost model was not based on:

▪️ The number of licensed taxis operating in Stirling
▪️ Passenger demand or the work available per taxi
▪️ Concerns about possible taxi overprovision
▪️ A comparison with the national taxi-fare table

The model estimates the cost of operating a taxi. It does not calculate how much work or income is available to each driver.

IMPORTANT CONTEXT

The impression has been given that the taxi trade is pushing for this increase because of higher fuel and running costs.

However, there has been little mention of the fare increases already introduced or concerns within the trade about the number of taxis competing for the available work.

▪️ Taxi fares increased by approximately 13.9% in 2023.
▪️ A further increase of approximately 3% took effect in April 2025.
▪️ The previous limit on taxi plates was removed and licence numbers increased significantly.
▪️ Drivers have raised concerns about possible overprovision and reduced work per taxi.
▪️ A new unmet-demand and overprovision survey is currently underway.

Operating costs matter—but so do passenger affordability, demand, taxi numbers and the amount of work available to each driver.

WHERE DOES STIRLING CURRENTLY SIT NATIONALLY?

The PHTM national fare table currently places Stirling 261st out of 355 authorities, based on a two-mile daytime Tariff 1 journey costing £6.70.

Under the Council’s proposal, the same journey would cost approximately £7.50.

Using the current national table as a comparison, that could move Stirling to approximately 165th place—a rise of around 96 positions towards the middle of the table.

This is an indicative comparison because other authorities may change their fares and the national rankings are regularly updated.

WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED?

The proposals include:

▪️ An overall increase of approximately 11.7%
▪️ Higher starting fares for Tariffs 1, 2 and 3
▪️ Shorter distance increments, meaning the meter would increase more frequently
▪️ Two new festive tariffs for Christmas and New Year
▪️ A proposed £10 starting fare for festive-period journeys carrying five or more passengers

Our slides show:

▪️ The current fare scales
▪️ The proposed new fares
▪️ Customer costs from half a mile to five miles
▪️ The differences between the current and proposed charges
▪️ When Tariffs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 would apply
▪️ The previous fare increases
▪️ How Stirling compares nationally

NOTHING HAS BEEN DECIDED YET.

Please read the proposals carefully and submit your views before Wednesday 7 October 2026.

The consultation is open to the taxi trade and the public.

🔗 Consultation information:
https://www.stirling.gov.uk/news/review-on-taxi-fares-to-go-to-consultation/

We will continue to provide updates as the consultation progresses and when the report returns to the Planning and Regulation Panel.

01/09/2026

HELLO SEPTEMBER, STIRLING!

And just like that… September has arrived! 🍂🍁🍁

There’s loads happening around Stirling and our surrounding communities this month from live music and theatre to markets, comedy, family days out, workshops and some pretty big weekends.

🎶 BBC Radio 2 in the Park
📚 Bloody Scotland
🎨 Open Studios Stirlingshire
🎭 Theatre & comedy
🎵 Live music
🛍️ Markets & local events
🏰 Plus plenty of reasons to get out and explore our amazing wee corner of Scotland.

We’ve pulled together our September What’s On guide to give you a wee starting point. Swipe through, screenshot anything that takes your fancy and, as always, check directly with venues for the latest times, tickets and updates.

And remember these posts aren’t just about the big events.

When you are out, grab that coffee, have lunch, book dinner, wander into the wee shop you’ve passed a hundred times, enjoy a drink after the show or make a day of it.

Every pound spent locally helps keep Stirling busy.

SUPPORT LOCAL • SHOP LOCAL • ENJOY STIRLING

And if we’ve missed something happening this September, pop it in the comments so everyone can see it! 👇👆

31/08/2026

GOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING, STIRLING! ❤️

We hope you had a fabulous weekend and enjoyed Stirling Pride — we certainly did! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

A huge congratulations to the Stirling Pride team. They pulled off an even bigger and better event this year, and we hope they’re now getting a very well-deserved rest!

Monday, you’ve got a lot to live up to after that weekend…

We recommend kick-starting the week with a coffee and a bacon roll from one of Stirling’s amazing independent coffee shops — where you’ll find plenty of friendly faces and smiles waiting to welcome you in.

Have a brilliant Monday, Stirling! ❤️

28/08/2026

HAPPY FRIDAY STIRLING!

The weekend has arrived… and this one is looking a wee bit more colourful than usual.

Stirling Pride weekend starts here!

Whatever you’re getting up to tonight — have fun, be kind and enjoy your Friday. ❤️

And remember, as always, support our local businesses across Stirling when you can. Whether it’s a coffee, dinner, a wee drink or somewhere you have been meaning to try, every bit of local support matters.

And save a wee bit of energy…

Tomorrow’s going to be a big one, Stirling.

Have a brilliant Friday!

25/08/2026

WHAT’S ON AROUND STIRLING THIS WEEK?

Well… quite a lot actually.

We have pulled together a wee snapshot of what’s happening around Stirling and the surrounding area this week — and there’s definitely one event bringing a whole lot of colour to the weekend…

STIRLING PRIDE IS BACK! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

This is Stirling’s 3rd Pride, with events running from Friday through to Sunday and Saturday bringing Pride to locations right across Stirling.

There’s the march, music, markets, entertainment, family activities, arts, wellbeing events, Pride Afters and even the Wallace Monument lighting up in rainbow colours after dark.

But what we really love about weekends like this is seeing Stirling come alive.

People wander into town. They grab a coffee. They have lunch. They pop into a shop they’ve walked past a hundred times. They meet pals for dinner or a wee drink. And they discover local businesses and venues they might never have tried before.

And remember many of those same local businesses support local events like Stirling Pride too.

So when your out, return the favour.

☕ Have the coffee.
🍽️ Stay for lunch or dinner.
🛍️ Have a wander around the local shops.
🍺 Meet your pals for that wee drink.
❤️ Spend a little locally if you can.

And Pride isn’t the only thing happening.

There are shows, exhibitions, local markets, pop-ups, tours and plenty more happening around Stirling and the surrounding communities this week.

We couldn’t possibly squeeze everything onto a few slides, so this is just a wee snapshot. Always check with individual venues and organisers for full details, tickets and any last-minute changes.

Most importantly this weekend…

🏳️‍🌈Celebrate Stirling’s 3rd Pride
🏳️‍⚧️Support our LGBTQ+ community
❤️Support the local businesses that support our city

GET OOT • SUPPORT LOCAL • ENJOY STIRLING

24/08/2026

GOOD MORNING STIRLING
HERE’S TO A NEW WEEK…

And somehow, it’s the last full week of August already. Aye… we are not sure how that happened either.

There is plenty happening around Stirling this week, with Stirling Pride 🌈 on Saturday bringing a brilliant day of events and entertainment into the city centre. We will be at the march fulling sporting our LGBTQ+ community

But you don’t need a big event as an excuse to get oot the hoose.

☕ Grab a coffee somewhere local
🍽️ Let somebody else do the cooking
🛍️ Have a wander round our independent shops
🍺 Meet pals for a wee drink
🎭 Check out what’s happening at our local venues

And remember — some of our hotels have cracking restaurants too. You don’t actually need to be staying the night to eat there. Who knew?

So this week, when you’re deciding where to eat, drink, shop or spend a few hours…

keep it local whenever you can. ❤️

Every coffee, meal, pint and purchase helps keep Stirling’s businesses busy.

We’ll be sharing a few ideas throughout the week — and building up to a very colourful Saturday. 🌈

SUPPORT LOCAL • SHOP LOCAL • ENJOY STIRLING

21/08/2026

STIRLING… WHO CAN ACTUALLY BE BOTHERED COOKING TONIGHT?

Or maybe you’ve just done the big food shop…

Fridge full.
Freezer full.
Cupboards full.

And somehow, ironically, food-shopping night has become takeaway night.

We have all been there.

You have spent an hour wandering round the supermarket, packed it all into bags, put it in the car, carried it into the hoose, unpacked it…

And now you’re expected to COOK IT AS WELL?!

Absolutely not.

So instead of reaching for the takeaway app, why not head out and let somebody else do ALL the work?

Stirling and the surrounding area have some amazing hospitality hotspots — restaurants, pubs, bars and fantastic hotel restaurants just waiting to feed you.

And yes… HOTEL RESTAURANTS ARE FOR LOCALS TOO!

You do not need:
❌ a suitcase
❌ a room key
❌ to pretend you’re visiting Stirling Castle tomorrow

Just head in, get comfy, order dinner and enjoy being waited on for a change.

And have you seen the price of gas and electricity? We are not claiming eating out is cheaper… but somebody else is buying the ingredients, cooking them, serving them AND washing the dishes.

That’s surely worth something.

So whether it’s date night, catching up with pals, celebrating something or simply….

“Aye, there’s plenty of food in the hoose… but I cannae be bothered cooking it.”

Get yourself out and support one of our brilliant local hospitality businesses. ❤️

👇 Tag your favourite Stirling or surrounding-area hotspot — there are far too many brilliant ones to fit on one poster!

❤️ SUPPORT LOCAL • EAT LOCAL • ENJOY LOCAL

19/08/2026

POST 3 — WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Checks • Regulation • Licensing • Fair Process

We’ve covered Record It and Report It. Our final post looks at what happens behind the scenes once concerns reach the appropriate authorities.

Licensed taxi and private-hire drivers are subject to checks before being licensed and remain regulated while they hold their licence.

This post explains:

🔴 the checks drivers are subject to
🔴 the different roles of Police and Stirling Council Licensing
🔴 how licence-condition complaints can be considered
🔴 what happens when Police information raises a fit & proper concern
🔴 immediate suspension and the role of the Planning & Regulation Panel
🔴 why suspension does not mean guilt
🔴 and what licensing information the public can and cannot see

It’s important to understand that criminal proceedings and licensing proceedings are different processes.

Licensing action can sometimes be necessary while a criminal investigation is ongoing, but an allegation is not proof, a suspension is not a conviction, and everyone is entitled to a fair process.

We have also highlighted an important transparency point: the information available publicly does not necessarily provide the complete picture of a licence holder’s current licensing status.

Ultimately, this three-part guide has one simple purpose:

Passengers have the right to a safe journey. Genuine concerns should be taken seriously — but they should also reach the people with the powers to properly investigate and act.

Record It • Report It • Let the Right People Deal With It

19/08/2026

POST 2 — REPORT IT

Something happened in a taxi or private hire — who should you tell?

Following on from Post 1 — Record It, this post looks at the next important step: getting your concern to the right people.

Different concerns are dealt with by different authorities.

Police Scotland
Suspected criminal matters such as assault, sexual harassment or inappropriate sexual behaviour, threats, violence, hate crime and road-traffic incidents should be reported to Police.

Stirling Council Licensing
Licensing concerns can include matters such as overcharging or meter issues, taxi-rank refusals, driver badge requirements, vehicle condition and possible breaches of licence conditions.

Sometimes, depending on what has happened, both Police and Licensing may become involved.

Not sure who to contact?
During Licensing office hours — 8:30am–5pm, Monday to Friday — you can contact Stirling Council Licensing for guidance. When the office is closed, 101 can be used for non-emergency Police advice. In an emergency, always call 999.

WHY REPORTING MATTERS

An allegation on Facebook isn’t an official report.

If genuine concerns aren’t reported to the appropriate authority, they may not be properly investigated, evidence may be lost and relevant information may not be available when future licensing or safeguarding decisions are made.

Reporting is not about deciding someone’s guilt online. It’s about giving the right people the opportunity to establish the facts and take appropriate action.

Record It • Report It • Let the Right People Deal With It

Next: POST 3 — What Happens Next?
We’ll look at how drivers are checked and regulated, licence-condition complaints, Police and Licensing involvement, the fit & proper process, suspensions and what information the public can see.

Indy Cabs

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

01/09/2026

31/08/2026

28/08/2026

25/08/2026

24/08/2026

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