COUNCILLORS have told taxi drivers that they won't be able to charge extra fares during the Millennium celebrations.

Just a week after agreeing to foot the bill to illuminate the town centre with Christmas lights throughout December, councillors dished out some more festive cheer by snubbing a request from the Preston Hackney Carriage Drivers Association to increase their fares by 300 per cent over New Year.

Had the proposals gone through, it would have cost £4.20 just for getting in to a cab, with a four mile journey costs £16.20, and a 10 mile trip £36!

The proposals were aired at a meeting of the licensing sub-committee last week.

Sandra Chesters, secretary of the drivers' organisation, said: "Drivers will only see one Millennium and obviously want compensating for working during such a special time.

"What we asked for was not unreasonable."

Councillors on the committee claimed allowing fares to rise would encourage drinking and driving.

Coun Robert Nash claimed: "We have to consider the impact on the town centre. If we price Preston out of the market, people will go somewhere else."

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