Brisbane cab passengers face a fare hike for the second time in six months.
brisbanetimes.com.au has learnt of a state government decision to increase cab fares by 2.27 per cent following a request from the taxi industry.
The increase is due to come into effect on January 29, and follows a 4.2 per cent rise in late July.
Taxi Council of Queensland chief executive Blair Davies said the increases were required to cover rising costs.
"Our taxi drivers and operators have been doing it very tough over the last 12 months and very much needed this fare increase," he said.
Mr Davies said although cab fares were increased in mid-2010, there were no increases in 2009.
He said the latest increase was based on an analysis of costs the industry had experienced between April 1 and September 30, 2010, such as labour, fuel, vehicle upkeep and insurance.
Mr Davies defended the standard of service cab passengers received, saying taxis remained a value-for-money option.
"Cabs in Brisbane aren't the reserve of people who are the affluent members of society; we've got all of the cross-section of the population catching cabs, from old people to young people, from rich people to pensioners," he said.
The quality of cab services has been a matter of wide-ranging debate over the past few years.
The state government responded to criticism by announcing several measures, including a requirement for all new taxi drivers to take an English test.
It has also promised to publish average taxi waiting times on a departmental website.
