Great Yarmouth's landau drivers are hoping to increase fares for a ride along the seafront with the price of hay having "gone through the roof".

The current fare for a jaunt on one of the horse-drawn carts is £10 from the landau station on Marine Parade to the Pleasure Beach.

A return journey costs £15 per vehicle.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Kelly Murkin, 46, a landau driver in Great Yarmouth, with her horse Milo.Kelly Murkin, 46, a landau driver in Great Yarmouth, with her horse Milo. (Image: Archant)

The proposal, sent by all nine landau drivers to the borough council, requests that the return trip be increased to £20.

Kelly Murkin, 46, a landau operator for 11 years, said the price of hay and horseshoes has "gone through the roof".

"It used to be £30 for a bale of hay. Now it's £50."

The cost of rent, vets and insurance has also gone up over the years, she added.

She also said the horses could only do so many journeys in one day, and an increase in fare for the return journey would ensure the welfare of the animals so they were not overworked to cover the costs of their upkeep.

In a letter to the borough council, Ms Murkin said: "We feel increasing the fare reflects these growths."

The request will be discussed next Tuesday (July 20) at a meeting of the council's licensing committee.

Landau fares were last increased in 2015 when the one-way journey was increased from £8 to £10.

For comparison, similar vehicles in Blackpool currently charge a daytime tariff of £20 for up to four people for a ride of up to 15 minutes.

The nighttime tariff is £25.