Castle Point taxi drivers have cut a deal with council bosses limiting the rise in their overheads.

The council wanted to push up licensing fees for cabbies by ten per cent, despite drivers only being allowed to raise fares by 7.93 per cent - the first increase in three years.

Council chiefs also wanted to cut the length of time vehicles could be used as taxis from ten years to seven.

But taxi driver representatives and council officers reached a deal where cabbies' overheads will rise by 7.9 per cent but the cabbies will be able to use the same car as taxis for 12 years, as long as it passes rigorous checks.

Published Monday December 15, 2003

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