TAXI drivers have been complaining about the increasing cost of securing a new licence from Darlington Borough Council for some time.

But the relationship between the trade and the local authority has reached an all- time low, with two drivers winning court cases against the council over licensing issues.

Now the drivers are considering strike action.

Cabbie George Jenkinson said that if the drivers all stopped work on a Friday or Saturday night, the town would be brought to a standstill.

"Going back five years, it would have been a rare thing for a taxi driver to even think of taking the council to court, but now we have a situation where two cases have been won and there are another eight pending," he said.

The introduction of a Driving Standards Agency test, costing £47, is considered an unreasonable licence requirement among taxi drivers.

In July, Malcolm Kaye took the council to court over the test and magistrates ruled the council had acted beyond its powers.

This has prompted eight further appeals to be lodged against the council, but the authority has also lodged an appeal against the magistrates' decision.

Mr Jenkinson said: "People in the trade are going bust. There are less cars now than ever.

"The council say they are bringing in all these tests and things to make sure the trade is safer for the public, but it's putting drivers out of business, so there aren't enough taxis.

"That encourages people to drink and drive, and makes it easier for bogus taxi drivers to operate in the area - so how is it making it safer for the public?"

At present, a Hackney carriage licence costs £63. The medical costs up to £70, an affidavit is £7, the Criminal Record Bureau check costs £33, and there is a £44 charge for vehicle checks, as well as insurance premiums of about £1,500 a year.

Trevor Brown, an independent taxi driver in the town, said he would consider taking strike action just to get someone from the council to sit down and discuss the problems.

He said: "Because there is a shortage of taxis, we have firms from other towns operating here."

John Stoddart took the council to court earlier this month after it refused him a licence because the windows on his Ford Galaxy were not what it considered standard tinted glass.

He argued the windows came as standard and the council had licensed other vehicles that had darker glass.

He won the case and the council was ordered to pay his costs of almost £2,000.

The authority is looking to review its policy on tinted glass, but Mr Stoddart said the case had been a huge waste of public money.

"I'm not a militant person at all, but there comes a point when you have to stand up for what you believe in. We all need to get together on this," he said.

A council spokesman said: "Public safety is paramount, and to achieve that we need to have safe vehicles and capable drivers. This gives confidence in the trade, people know the cars and drivers are up to standard. That is good for the business."

He refuted claims that there were many fewer taxis operating in the town, saying that two years ago there were 246 licensed vehicles, and presently there were 244.