ANGRY Newport taxi drivers are to present a petition to the council next week in the latest protest against plans to make them use London-style black cabs.

Drivers claim they cannot afford the expensive vehicles and will be forced out of business.

Four years ago the city council ruled that from April 2007, all hackney carriages will have to be the distinctive black cabs with disabled facilities. They can cost up to £32,000 but the authority says they are safer, easily recognisable and more disabled-friendly.

Now 180 drivers - out of a total of 230 hackney licence holders in the city - have signed a petition strongly opposing the ruling.

They allege they will be unable to continue as taxis after March 31, 2007, and that Newport will find it has fewer than 50 licensed operators after that date.

That, they say, will lead to chaos because there will be a shortage of cabs able to pick up passengers without being pre-booked.

They are urging the city council and the licensing committee to re-consider the situation and operate rules similar to those in Cardiff and Bristol, where long-serving drivers can continue to use non-London-style taxis as long as they are less than six years old.

In March, taxi driver Thomas Talbot told the Argus the proposal just would not work and that lots of people did not like the black cabs.

He said: "Some passengers request not to have one. It's better if passengers have a choice. Also, the cheapest cabs are £22,000. How are we supposed to afford that?"

The petition is due to be presented to the mayor, Councillor Ken Critchley, on Tuesday.

A council spokesman said: "The aim of the policy is to ensure Newport's hackney taxis are more accessible for disabled people and are safer for the public and the drivers.

"The policy was introduced in 2001 following widespread consultation with Newport's hackney drivers.

"This allowed existing drivers six years to prepare for the changes. Since the introduction of the policy, the number of purpose-built hackney carriages serving the people of Newport has increased and there has been a positive response from the public."