Michael Hildreth of the Transport and General Workers Union is scraping the bottom of the barrel by saying that because two of the 400-odd councils have increased their taxi fares, unlimited taxis mean higher prices (Letters, March 3).

Of the two councils he mentions, Edinburgh increased its fare by 25 per cent but that was 16 years ago and he fails to mention that the restricted Edinburgh taxi trade has just increased its fares by 15 per cent.

The other council he mentions, Manchester, has always had a taxi limit, so if it has put up its prices, it goes to show that limits mean higher fares.

Mr Hildreth also fails to mention that the restricted Brighton taxi trade has increased its fares by nearly 40 per cent over the past three and a half years.

It has even requested a £1 extra charge after midnight to get cabs to work late.

If the Office of Fair Trading lifts the numbers restriction, more cabs will work at night, without the extra charge.

He then goes on to say delimitation doesn't work in big cities. I suspect the people of London, Birmingham, Leicester, Coventry, Derby and many others may disagree.

-Tony Rogers, Brighton