Scrapping rules which limit the number of taxis in Brighton and Hove will reduce passenger safety and lead to gridlock and higher fares, drivers have warned.

More than 40 taxi drivers travelled to the House of Commons to protest against the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) "de-limitation" proposals.

The OFT claims abolishing the limit on the number of cars licensed by Brighton and Hove Council will increase competition and reduce fares.

But the drivers, who staged a 270-car protest by driving slowly though the city's streets last month, yesterday warned a huge increase in numbers would cause chaos.

They are urging the Government to reject the OFT's recommendations when it announces a verdict later this month.

John Oram, chairman of Brighton Streamline, said: "Drivers will have to work night and day because trade will be so bad.

"The city will come to a standstill. Drivers will not be able to get on ranks and it will be snarled up on the roads."

Terry Davis, who works for Brighton Streamline, warned Brighton and Hove could suffer similar problems to London.

He said drivers would be on the streets without proper insurance for themselves or their passengers. and warned the council may struggle to cope with increased pressure to check their backgrounds.

Mr Davis said: "It is hard enough for the council to keep track of the drivers we have got now, without flooding the market with more."

Michael Hildreth, branch secretary of the Brighton and Hove cab branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union, warned the city must not be allowed to suffer the same fate as Edinburgh.

Trade was de-regulated in the Scottish capital in the late Eighties, he said.

"Taxi numbers doubled from 500 to more than 1,000. Taxi drivers started to suffer serious financial hardship due to their workload dropping.

"In response, Edinburgh Council twice increased taxi drivers fares by 25 per cent to help ease the drivers' hardship."

Brighton Pavilion MP David Lepper met the drivers yesterday and is fighting their corner.

He has written to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling warning the plans would be "severely detrimental" to the trade and the public.

He said: "What looks like a bargain for the paying customer will end up giving them a bad deal.

"The good, reliable, responsible drivers with years of dedicated service who have invested in their vehicle over the years will end up being undercut by cowboys."

Tuesday June 22, 2004