Journeys of a mile or less will stay at the current rates so that elderly and disabled people can still afford to travel by cab.

One proposed rise had already been turned down after a barrage of opposition from firms who claimed their most vulnerable customers – many who use taxis for short journeys to the shops or their doctors' surgery – would be priced out.

Phil Briggs, of Leyland Taxis, had claimed regular customers would no longer be able to take a taxi if the proposed 50p a journey increase had gone ahead.

But many of the 160 cabbies in South Ribble insisted the rise was necessary to help pay for increases in the cost of fuel and insurance.

Instead, the cost of taking a cab will stay at £3 for the first mile, but will rise by £1 for each further five miles, up from £1.60 a mile to £1.80.

Coun Phil Smith, chairman of the South Ribble Council licensing committee, said the authority agreed drivers were suffering from higher motoring costs.

He said: "We are taking great steps to ensure that the rise in fares will not have an adverse impact on the older, disabled or vulnerable people in South Ribble who often rely on making short taxi journeys to get around.

"We therefore changed the original proposal to only make it slightly more expensive for those who travel for longer distances."

Members of the public will have two weeks to have their say on the proposals.

Anyone who wishes to comment should contact Licensing, South Ribble Council, West Paddock, Leyland.

If the fare increase is given the go-ahead, it should come into force in October. But it will not affect private hire operators across the borough who are free to set their own fares.

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