DURHAM taxi drivers say they may strike over plans to shake up their trade.

The Liberal Democrat-controlled Durham City Council has angered taxi drivers and taxi firm owners with plans to lift the limit on the number of Hackney Carriage licences, plans to introduce a five-year age limit on cars and a requirement that all cars are white.

The city's taxi associations claim they have been ignored and say they could strike at weekends.

Traditionally councils that regulate Hackney cabs - which can pick up passengers from taxi ranks - have limited licences.

But councils are looking at the issue of licences again following an Office of Fair Trade report suggesting licence deregulation.

Durham is proposing a further nine licences, all for wheelchair-accessible taxis, with the option of more.

The Independent Taxi Association and the Durham City Taxi Association walked out of a council meeting because they said councillors were 'railroading' a decision.

The two associations, representing 55 licence-holders, say extra licences will allow part-time drivers to 'cream off' trade at weekend peak periods while full-time drivers will have to work during quiet periods in the week, face increased costs and reduced income.

The associations say the problem is a shortage of drivers, lack of ranks and little demand for expensive wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

The city council also wants all taxis to be the same colour so that drivers from neighbouring areas, such as Sunderland and Chester-le-Street, picking up fares illegally in Durham, can be identified.

Adrian Fets, of the independent association, said: "Withdrawing our labour on the weekends is the last thing we want to do because it is the travelling public that will bear the brunt, but it will make the people who take the decisions realise the job we do."

Durham City Taxi Association chairman Phil Bell said: "If they bring in more cars we'll lose drivers and at the end of the day we'll lose business."

A council spokesman said the panel had backed the colour and age proposals and that the decision on licences would be taken by the cabinet.