Evening taxi prices will be increased in Coventry despite an objection over the new charges.

A city pensioner wrote to the city council complaining about the proposals to allow a surcharge to be imposed on journeys after 10pm.

The night-time charges previously came into force at midnight, but councillors approved the increase in May to try and encourage more drivers to take to the streets.

The city council’s Licensing Committee heard today that a pensioner had objected to an extra 80p being imposed on journeys after 10pm.

A Mrs Evans of Holyhead Road wrote to officers and asked them to reconsider as many pensioners would be hit by the new charges as they often caught taxis home after nights out between 10pm and 11pm.

She asked councillors to compromise over the changes, and allow the extra charges only after 11pm.

Hackney Carriage officer Frank Barlow said the charges had been drawn up by an independent group after a survey in the city among taxi-users.

He said people had complained that there were not enough taxis available, but drivers were reluctant to work in case their vehicles were attacked by drunken revellers.

The new charge was designed to encourage more drivers to work.

Cllr David Arrowsmith (Conservative, Sherbourne) said:

“We don’t know whether the surcharge is meeting its objective or not.

“Having put a surcharge on, to increase it again without knowing if the original surcharge is working seems rather silly.”

But Mr Barlow said that if it were left to the taxi drivers, they would increase the night-time charges of their own accord as they were running a commercial business.

Committee chair Eric Linton said it was the first complaint the panel had received and they would not take it lightly.