§ 29. Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is now the average cost per mile for the hire of taxicabs in the London area and outside London, respectively. and in total for a typical journey; and how this compares with the comparative indices, or costs, for 1st April 1977, 1st April 1976, 1st April 1974 and 1st April 1970, respectively.
§ Dr. SummerskillFor typical two- to three-mile journeys in London, the present cost—unchanged since December 1976—ranges from 34p to 45p per mile. In areas outside London fare scales vary from district to district, but in a typical area journeys of a similar length would cost from 38p to 58p per mile.
The comparable figures for London for 1976 were 30p to 40p per mile; for 1974, 17p to 22½p; and for 1970, 13p to 18p. Outside London the range of fares at each date was slightly higher than that in London.