SOUTHAMPTON is to get nearly 20 extra taxis over the next three years, the city council has ruled.

From December 1, four new taxi licences will be issued with 15 more released over the following two years.

The controversial move was met with relief by cabbies in Southampton who feared 20 licences would be issued immediately after an independent report said the council needed to plug a “significant unmet demand” for taxis.

The move will bring the total number of hackney carriage licensed taxis – those that can be pre-booked or hailed in the street and at taxi ranks – up from 263 to 282.

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Dozens of taxi drivers from across the city filled the public seating at the city council’s licensing committee meeting to air their concerns and question the accuracy of the survey by consultants Halcrow that was carried out in October and November last year.

Ahead of the meeting, drivers warned any rise in the number of taxis would have a devastating effect on cabbies who were already struggling due to the recession.

Councillors were asked to choose between four options that included ignoring the survey, deregulating the number of taxis, and bringing in the extra licences.

They were warned that if they opted not to issue any new licences they could leave themselves open to court action.

After hearing from taxi drivers they decided to opt for a phased-in approach to allow time for the network to adjust to the new numbers and survive the credit crunch.

The last survey of demand for taxis in 2005 found that no additional cars were needed and the council has not issued new hackney carriage plates since 2001 when 44 were handed out.

Clive Johnson, chairman of the Southampton Taxi Consultative Council (STCC) and Radio Taxis, welcomed the decision. He said: “Under the circumstances it is the best we could have hoped for. We are still not happy with the survey as we feel that there is still no need for any more cabs.”

Perry McMillan, chairman of the Transport and General Workers’ Union cab section, said the move was as good as they could have hoped.

“We would prefer not to have any but due to the legal complications this is a good result. We are now looking forward to working with council members when we set up the taxi forum again in the future.”