The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is proposing a 50% increase in night-time black cab fares.

The rise would apply between 2000-0600 and is aimed at encouraging more taxis onto the streets during peak time when bars, clubs and theatres close.

Mr Livingstone also wants cabbies to be forced to accept custom from people wanting to go further than the current six-mile limit.

Both proposals have to be put to the 36,000 licensed taxi drivers before they can be made law.

Safety fears

The Greater London Authority hopes they will become standard practice by the end of September.

But the change in the six-mile limit has angered some drivers who believe it is impractical and could threaten their safety.

One driver at Euston station taxi rank said: "It means we will loose fares if it takes us double the time to do 12 miles."

Bob Oddy from London Taxi Drivers' Association added: "It's a safety issue. If they were bus drivers working in Kent this would be illegal."

A spokeswoman for Mr Livingstone's office said: "The ultimate aim of the mayor is for all of us to be able to hail a cab at any time and go anywhere we want."