Where Are The Cheapest Places to get a cab in the UK?

According to figures published in TaxiPoint, fares for taxis in the North of England are 38% cheaper than those in the South.  

The quoted study, from The Taxi Centre, analyzed taxi fares across the globe and revealed the UK’s cheapest locales to hail a cab. 

Where Are The Cheapest Places to get a cab in the UK?

Nine of the top ten cheapest areas were all in the North of England. Bradford came in with the lowest price, at just £3.75 for a journey of 5km. Ipswich came in second, at £4.35 for an equivalent journey.

Across the North, the cost of a 5km taxi journey averaged out at around £5.25. This is more than £2 cheaper than a journey in the South, costing an average of around £7.27.

As well as costs for a 5km journey, the study also examined the starting tariffs in areas across the country. Unsurprisingly, the North came in cheapest again. Seven of the top ten cheapest starting tariffs by area were found in the North of England. As you can see from the table, the other three were located in Wales (Swansea) and the Midlands (Peterborough and Birmingham).

Commenting on the study, a spokesperson for The Taxi Centre said: 

“Due to the pressures of increased fuel prices, maintenance costs and inflation rates, taxi prices are set to increase to meet this, to lessen the financial burden taxi drivers are facing. Locations up and down the UK have already seen the impact of this - in April 2022 London taxi fares rose for the first time in two years, in reaction to risings costs.” 

“Regardless of these price changes, we often rely on taxis to get us around from point A to B, whether travelling in our hometown or visiting a new place. We always recommend planning ahead, especially when in a new city, so that you can get an idea of how much your journeys will cost and budget for this. For any longer or more important journeys, such as travelling to a station or hotel, it may be a good idea to research contact numbers and operating hours of local firms or pre-book and pay for your taxi so that you don’t have to worry about finding one, or the expense on the day.” 

“While it can be tempting to catch whatever cab is available, taking time to compare rates and reviews of taxi providers means you are more likely to find the most affordable and suitable option for you.” 

Fares Nationwide 

Many areas across the UK are raising the tariffs for taxis to help support the industry as the cost-of-living increases. In some areas, these fare increases are the first in several years and for some, its been a decade or more.  

If you’re curious about fare prices across the UK, check out Private Hire and Taxi Monthly’s fare tables. Updated daily, PHTM’s fare tables outline the tariff for a 2-mile journey across all of the UK’s licensing authorities. 

You can also track fare increases across licensing authorities going back to 2008. You can check out the fare tables here.