PEOPLE'S safety is being put at risk by some hard-up taxi drivers in Taunton working more than 100 hours a week, according to a cabbie of 33 years' experience.

Taunton Deane Taxi Owners Association vice-chairman Martin Jones, of Lightnings Taxis, said the trade has been flooded by people looking for work since the economic downturn.

He was speaking ahead of next Wednesday's (September 20) Taunton Deane Borough Council licensing committee meeting, which will decide whether to limit the number of cabs permitted in the district.

"Most of us feel it should never have been completely opened up to allow a limitless number of drivers," said Mr Jones.

"I pay £630 a year to wait at the railway station - I had three jobs for less than £16 from 8.15am to 12.30pm today and the guys in town aren't doing as well as that.

"I run a couple of cars and also do work for Somerset County Council and schools and without that I wouldn't be running.

"There are far too many taxis because when the going gets tough and people lose their jobs, they think they can make money quick by driving a taxi."

Mr Jones would like to see a cap on the number of taxi licences issued by the council.

He added: "There were 33 taxis when I started 33 years ago. Now there are 197 and it's extremely hard out there.

"Some people are doing 14 or 18 hours a day six of seven days a week. It isn't safe."

Deane House licensing manager John Rendell, in a report to the meeting recommending maintaining the current position, said limiting the number of taxis could results in less competition, poorer availability in outlying villages and higher fares.

He said the county town's largest taxi rank in Corporation Street is "often over-capacity at peak times", with cabs queuing on double yellow lines as far back as the Mecca Bingo hall.

There are also issues of drivers parking up outside Zinc nightclub, in Bridge Street, with some of them performing U-turns at speed while members of the public cross the road", according to the police.

The report says PC Andy Beake supports putting a limit on taxi numbers, claiming it would make Taunton safer for other drivers and pedestrians.

The council ran a survey costing £7,650 last year, which concluded that unmet demand for hackney carriages in Taunton Deane "is not significant".

A large chunk of that bill will be met by increasing drivers' licensing application fees by £7.