Knowsley's taxi drivers have called for higher fares in the face of rising petrol prices and the cost of living.
Some 89 drivers across the borough have backed a proposal to increase fares for two-mile journeys from £4.50 to £5.20. Fares for late night journeys would rise from £5.30 to £6.70 for two miles.
Knowsley currently has the cheapest taxis in the Liverpool City Region and the increase would bring the borough in line with Halton and make it only slightly more expensive than Sefton and St Helens.
Since the last time Knowsley's taxi fares were increased, in September 2016, drivers' costs have increased, with petrol prices rising 16% and insurance premiums and licensing costs also increasing. In the same period, the cost of living has risen around 7%.
According to a report prepared ahead of a council licensing committee meeting next Thursday, vehicle maintenance has also become more expensive due to "uncertainty over the UK's future in the EU and the effect on the supply chain".
In a formal request for a fare increase submitted to the committee, representatives of the taxi trade said they had consulted drivers on another proposal that would have increased the two-mile fare by only 20p.
However, the report said, "it was considered that this proposal fell short of delivering a sustainable increase to enable drivers to sustain a living wage as it fell short of average taxi journey costs across the city region".
Knowsley's licensing committee will vote on the proposed fare increase at a meeting at Huyton municipal building on Thursday evening.
