SOUTHAMPTON'S taxi and private hire trade has threatened to bring the city to a standstill in protest at new measures designed to regulate their business.

Blockades will be mounted in response to a move by the city council to introduce last- minute changes to rules and regulations governing the taxi and private hire trade.

Chairman of the Southampton Taxi and Private Hire Association Clive Johnson said his group had worked for two years with the council to draw up the document known as "The Package" and 11th hour changes governing advertising on the side of private hire cars has left them "shocked and angry."

"My members are very angry. They were threatening to blockade the Civic Centre today with 200 cars but I told them to wait until we had taken legal advice about what we can do over The Package," he said.

"I can promise you that after today there will be blockades at critical times. The gloves are off now.

"We will be doing this out of sheer frustration. Blockades are the only way we can demonstrate how we feel about this."

The licensing panel met yesterday to hear the views of the taxi and private hire trade and to formally launch new rules for the trade. After drivers and owners had their chance to speak, the panel of councillors debated the details of the document for a further three and a half hours behind closed doors, before reaching their decision.

Licensing chairman Councillor Sue Blatchford said that from now on all taxis would be white with roof signs and they would have a maximum road life of up to ten years.

These measures are designed to make them easily distinguished from private hire vehicles and two distinctive new stickers will also help safeguard passenger safety.

Mrs Blatchford then announced that new rules for the private hire trade would now allow advertising all over the cars to a maximum of 35 per cent of the vehicle and all cars would have to carry a private hire sign on both front doors.

Mr Johnson said it was the decision to allow advertising that had incensed his members as it was not included in the document they had agreed with the council.

"We have spent two and half years negotiating to get to this stage. We had a postal ballot to which over 400 people responded - we have all been involved in drawing up this document.

"We did all of this to enhance the image of Southampton.

"By allowing advertising people will still be confused between taxis and private hire vehicles and there will be more problems with illegal plying for trade.

"At the last minute they have cherry picked and disregarded all the hard work that has been done."