TAXI firms in Lancaster and Morecambe still don't know if they'll be able to run any cabs on New Year's Eve.

The firms can't work out whether it's worth their while because the city council still haven't set a fare limit for the council regulated hackney cars they claim.

As it stands there will be the usual bank holiday rate of time and a half before midnight and double fare after that.

But members of the hackney taxi drivers association are proposing that they should be able to charge double time from 7pm. It's thought the council licensing sub-committee will make a final decision when they meet on Thursday, November 11.

One hackney driver, who didn't wish to be named, said he didn't know a single driver who would be working on the big night.

He said: "They'll have to pay us a lot of money to work that night. We've heard rumours that we'll only be getting twice as much as normal. There's no way we'll leave home for that.

"I've talked to a few customers and I don't think many people will be going out anyway. That said I've heard of a few hotels who are going to charging a fortune and they're sold out so there will be some work about. It's whether it's going to be worth our while."

We called six taxi firms three in Lancaster and three in Morecambe without informing them we represented a newspaper. None of them were prepared to offer a price until the council came up with their figure.

Five still had no plans as yet for the big night and of those three said they didn't know if they would be running any cars at all.

Only one firm said they would definitely be running taxis.

Secretary of the Hackney Taxi Drivers Association Alan Sloan commented: "I can't say for definite but as far as I'm aware there'll be a good few drivers out on New Year's Eve."

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