A TAXI strike due to take place tomorrow (Saturday) in St Albans will definitely go ahead, the cabbies have confirmed. There will be no taxis available in the city centre between 10pm on Saturday and 4am on Sunday morning, as drivers demonstrate in a dis

A TAXI strike due to take place tomorrow (Saturday) in St Albans will definitely go ahead, the cabbies have confirmed.

There will be no taxis available in the city centre between 10pm on Saturday and 4am on Sunday morning, as drivers demonstrate in a dispute with the district council.

Terence Flanagan, secretary for the driver's branch of trade union GMB, explained that the council's refusal to increase fare prices and their introduction of new licensing laws has incensed the St Albans cabbies. "It's all preposterous, especially the new six-point rule. Any driver with six points on his or her driving licence will be unable to get a license to work for a year, which would be crippling to their livelihood", he said.

The dispute was further exacerbated yesterday (Thursday) when a passenger lodged a complaint against a St Albans taxi driver.

Said Mr Flanagan: "The complaint was dealt with in the driver's absence and the council gave him no opportunity to respond. GMB will of course be representing this member in an appeal against the council."

Mr Flanagan said that the union's attempts to negotiate with the council were rejected, and that the strike on Saturday was a last resort.