CONTROVERSIAL plans to hike up the price of taxi licenses are set to cause outrage among Bromsgrove cab drivers.

Bromsgrove District Council's licensing committee agreed to proposals, which would see a 15 per cent increase in the cost of taxi licenses, at a meeting on Monday. Licensing committee chairman Councillor Alan Dent (Con-Marlbrook) defended the increase, saying the charges were a considerable amount less than in other parts of Worcestershire.

"Bromsgrove only charges half of what Redditch charges, only two thirds of what Wyre Forest charges and we are still less than Worcester.

"A fifteen per cent increase would reduce the subsidy of the general public by £77,000.

"It's unfair that the whole population of Bromsgrove should have to subsidise taxis when not everybody uses them."

However, Councillor Sean Shannon (Lab-Charford) said the proposals were unfair on the public and on taxi firms.

"Particularly in Charford a lot of people don't have cars, and rely on taxis. Also, I'm sympathetic to the taxi trade, because after buying vehicles, and with the high cost of fuel at the moment, they don't need a six fold increase on the administrative side."

Bromsgrove Taxi Operators and Drivers Association secretary Kevin Nind said the increase would have a knock-on effect for the public.

"The people of Bromsgrove are going to have to pay for it in the form of charges, and elderly people aren't going to be able to afford it," he said.