CABBIES in Burnley have raised the prospect of strike action after proposals were unveiled to increase their fees by more than 80 per cent.

Hackney-carriage drivers have met to discuss withdrawing their services after the borough’s licensing committee announced an increase in their fee from £240 to £438.

And the charge for each registered vehicle is set to be hiked from £87 to £149, with the fee for the knowledge test rising from £17 to £29.

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But fees for private-hire vehicles will drop from £240 to £116, and from £87 to £75 per car, following a legal test case, according to council licensing bosses.

Charles Oakes — of the Hackney Drivers Association, which incorporates Burnley Hackney Carriage Association — said his members are not impressed.

The association, representing 38 drivers, wants a compromise ahead of Monday’s licensing-committee meeting before considering its next move.

Mr Oakes said: “The outcome of our meeting was that the members want the council to look again at ways in which they can reduce the burden on our drivers, who have seen their fees nearly double. They also want to have assurances as to their future livelihoods. They are asking the council to set a limit on the number of hackney plates which they issue.

“There is an argument that the more plates which are issued, the lower the fees would be. But then again so would their earnings. It all depends now on what the council says.”

Karen Davies, the council’s environmental-health and licensing manager, said in a report that the decision was being taken to increase fees for hackney drivers following a recent High Court judgement involving Cardiff council. This ruling called for a separation between various funds for private-hire drivers, private-hire vehicles, bosses of hackney firms, and hackney drivers and operators.

And it has emerged that the private-hire fund in Burnley is in surplus by £22,000, leading to the proposed reduction for those drivers. Management costs are said to have risen.

Ms Davies said: “This year, new hackney ranks have been established, a new hackney age-limit policy has been introduced which has led to a number of exceptional condition inspections being undertaken, and complaints about behaviours on the rank, advertising on vehicles and refusals to carry disabled passengers have been high. As there are comparatively few hackney drivers and vehicles to bear these costs, this has a disproportionate effect on fees for hackney licences.”