A 5-mile taxi ride would go from £17.70 to £19.47 if councillors back a 10% rise on 3 November. Drivers want more: a £5 flag fare and an earlier night rate.
Taxi fares in the Sevenoaks district could rise from 1 December, the first increase since May 2022. Councillors on the Licensing Committee will decide on Tuesday 3 November.
Officers have proposed a 10% rise across the board. Drivers say that is not enough and have asked for about 17% to 19%. The committee papers were published today. (Sevenoaks District Council, Hackney Carriage Fare Tariff report, Licensing Committee 3 November 2026)
The council sets the fares for hackney carriages: the licensed taxis that can be hailed in the street or taken from a rank, such as the one at Sevenoaks station. The tariff is a maximum, and drivers can charge less. Minicabs booked through a private hire firm are not covered.
What a typical journey would cost
On the council’s own comparison, a 5-mile daytime journey in a Sevenoaks hackney carriage costs up to £17.70 today. With a 10% rise it would cost up to £19.47. On the drivers’ proposal it would be £20.75. (Licensing Committee public reports pack, 3 November 2026, Appendix G)
The same table puts the 5-mile fare at:
| Area | 5-mile fare |
|---|---|
| Sevenoaks now | £17.70 |
| Sevenoaks with a 10% rise | £19.47 |
| Sevenoaks on the drivers’ proposal | £20.75 |
| TfL (London) | £20.20 |
| Maidstone | £18.17 |
| Tonbridge and Malling | £17.96 |
| Tandridge | £17.00 |
| Tunbridge Wells | £16.91 |
| Gravesham | £16.89 |
| Wealden | £16.05 |
The council’s figures for neighbouring areas are as at 5 March 2026. We have left out Dartford: the council’s table and a table submitted by drivers give different fares for it, and we could not settle which is right.
What the committee is being asked to choose
The committee agreed on 1 July to consult on a 10% increase to every fare. The percentage charges would stay as they are: the extra for more than four passengers, and the double fare over Christmas and New Year.
The report sets out four options:
- adopt the officers’ 10% increase
- adopt the larger increase the drivers asked for
- make a different decision of its own
- leave fares as they are
If fares change, officers recommend the new tariff starts on 1 December.
Officers have also asked councillors to consider four points raised in the consultation:
- Night rate from earlier. The night surcharge would start at 9pm or 10pm instead of 11pm.
- A bigger night surcharge. Drivers want £2.40. A straight 10% rise would make it £2.20.
- Bank holiday surcharge. Drivers want it raised by the same proportion as their fare request, to £2.57. A 10% rise would make it £2.44.
- Annual fare reviews. Officers would want at least 20% of the trade to back an increase before bringing one to committee.
What drivers asked for
A joint response signed by 74 licensed drivers asks for:
- a flag fare of £5.00, up from £4.20
- 35p for each tenth of a mile, up from 30p
- the night surcharge to start at 10pm and rise to £2.40, so a night fare would start at £7.40
- the bank holiday surcharge to rise in line with the rest of the tariff
- annual fare reviews
The drivers say their proposal adds up to about 17% to 19%. They say inflation has been about 20% since the last rise.
Their response also says the council has raised its own licence fees over the same period. They put a driver’s licence renewal at £194, up from £112, and a hackney carriage vehicle licence at £344, up from £244.
A separate letter from one driver argues that the 10% figure was not based on any analysis of what it costs to run a taxi. It says Transport for London raised its fares by 9.95%, 11.64%, 8.92%, 7.48% and 4.01% in the five years from 2022 to 2026.
Six other drivers sent short comments. Most backed an increase; one said they were happy to keep the daytime fares as they are if the night rate started at 9pm.
What officers said in reply
Officers said they chose a flat percentage this time “to ensure an increase is implemented sooner rather than later”.
They said the trade can ask for a review at any time. In February 2025 officers contacted drivers about a possible increase. Only 5% replied, split evenly for and against, so it was not taken forward.
Two complaints are outside the council’s control, officers said:
- Station permit fees. Sevenoaks station is private land, and rank permits there are issued by the parking operator APCOA.
- Private hire operators’ charges. The council sets maximum fares for hackney carriages only.
One resident’s view
Only one member of the public responded to the consultation. They called fares around Sevenoaks “extremely expensive”, and said a taxi from Sevenoaks station to Heaverham, near Kemsing, costs them £20.
Fewer taxis that can be hailed
The report also shows how the licensed fleet has changed since the last fare rise. The overall number of drivers is almost the same, but far fewer hold a hackney carriage licence alone.
| Driver licence | 2022 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Hackney carriage only | 189 | 69 |
| Dual (hackney and private hire) | 42 | 134 |
| Private hire only | 90 | 122 |
| Total | 321 | 325 |
What it means for you
- Nothing changes yet. Fares stay at the current tariff until the committee decides and a start date arrives. The proposed date is 1 December.
- The rise would land before Christmas. The double fare over Christmas and New Year would be calculated on the new, higher tariff.
- Late journeys could cost more sooner. If councillors agree to start the night rate at 9pm or 10pm, an evening trip home from the station would pay the surcharge.
- You can watch the decision. The meeting is at 3pm on Tuesday 3 November in the Council Chamber, Argyle Road. It will be livestreamed on the council’s YouTube channel. (Sevenoaks District Council, Licensing Committee agenda, 3 November 2026)
- The meter is the maximum. A driver can always charge less than the tariff, and a fare can be agreed in advance.
We will report the committee’s decision. For other ways into town, see our Sevenoaks train times to London and parking in Sevenoaks pages.
Have your say