NEW rules governing taxi drivers are coming into force in Worcester – following concern the number of cabs has “spiralled to unprecedented” levels.

The number of taxis licensed on city streets has hit 288, an 18 per cent surge in just one year.

Worcester City Council has revealed plans to try and manage it – and from the autumn will only be accepting applications from drivers with new vehicles.

At the moment people can ask for a licence as long as the vehicle is under three years old, as opposed to a new one which can cost anywhere from £17,000 to £30,000.

The ruling would also apply to current taxi drivers with vehicles where the age limits expire, which is set at 10 or 12 years depending on the model.

Members of the city’s licensing committee said they had “no idea” how the drivers make a living.

Councillor Paul Denham, the chairman, said: “The whole purpose of this is to achieve a reduction in hackney carriages – they are simply clogging up the city at all times of day and night, it seems.

“Doing nothing is not a sensible option otherwise all we’ll get is what we have now, with people fighting for space.”

There are 229 hackney carriages licensed in Worcester and 59 private hire cabs, with a council report warning their numbers have spiralled to “unprecedented” levels.

Under the the new rules, which are subject to a 12-week consultation with drivers, new incentives will also be introduced to encourage more of them to switch to private hire cars.

The age limit of private hire vehicles is being increased from eight years to 10, and a £50 fee for each car scrapped.

Unlike hackney carriages, private hire drivers are not allowed to pick customers up from ranks or tout for customers on the street, and must rely on pre-booking only.

The council has refused to put an actual cap on overall numbers due to fears it could face legal challenges from irate drivers.

One way to reduce the risk of court action is to do a survey of “demand” for taxis, but it has been ruled out for the time being because of the costs involved.

The new changes will need to be voted on by full council by November once the licensing committee has looked at the consultation feedback.

The report even warns that the policy might result in a rush of applications from would-be drivers trying to beat the autumn deadline, but councillors hope it will cull the overall number in the long run.

Mohammed Ali, from Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, said: “I first started 10 years ago and we all know there’s too many taxis – I have no idea why it wasn’t stopped long before now.”