Cabbies say they are earning less

Many roads were congested as the cabbies parked up around Trafalgar Square at 1400 BST.

They sounded horns as traffic on Whitehall, Northumberland Avenue and around Admiralty Arch came to standstill.

After about an hour police told them to move but they continued to drive around the area, making only a marginal improvement to the flow of traffic.

The drivers were protesting because they say new conditions imposed by London's mayor Ken Livingstone means they are almost being driven out of business.

The protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations over night fares, plans to ban cabs from bus lanes around Trafalgar Square and a lack of consultation by Transport for London (TfL).

I have always listened to taxi drivers' representatives and take their views seriously Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London In Pictures: A day of protest

Taxi drivers are angry about the abolition of higher fares for passengers travelling after 2000 BST which came into place in April.

The higher tariff now applies later in the evening - at 2200 BST.

Also drivers can no longer charge extra for additional passengers, with one fixed rate for all.

They claim it means they have to work longer hours to earn the same money they were getting before the changes.

No representation

They are angry that changes to the way they work are being put through without TfL consulting them and want more representation within TfL.

Bob Oddy, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, told BBC London they did not want to upset the general public.

"We apologise for the inconvenience, but we must get the mayor's attention - he's refusing to listen to us.

"He came in three years ago and we gave him every chance. He seemed to be the right man for the job.

Policies reviewed

"But in the last year or so the feeling in the cab trade has changed dramatically and he has no support whatsoever now amongst licensed drivers."

The mayor's office said Mr Livingstone had met cab drivers' representatives on Tuesday and felt the meeting was a constructive one.

In a statement Mr Livingstone said: "I have always listened to taxi drivers' representatives and take their views seriously, for example, on issues like the night tariff. I will continue to do so."

He said the abolition of the "extra" tariff and exclusions from bus lanes would be reviewed.