RAWTENSTALL will be brought to a standstill on Monday morning as more than 100 taxi drivers stage a slow-moving protest around the town centre.

Rossendale Taxi Association represents all of the taxi drivers and companies in Rossendale, who have unanimously agreed to back the protest.

Their main objection is Rossendale Council's decision to only allow drivers to use vehicles under five years old and to insist on new drivers taking a costly driver improvement scheme test in Bury.

Ann Kenyon, secretary of the association, said: "There are well over 100 taxi drivers in the Valley and they are all going to take part in the protest.

"What we will be doing will be legal and lawful but our aim is to bring Rawtenstall to a standstill because we will be driving round in a big line -- one long procession of traffic.

"They asked us to form an association so we could put our views forward. But we feel that was just a ploy and after we have attended the meetings the councillors still vote through whatever they want to, regardless of what we have had to say.

"Due to the council's unreasonable attitude towards the five-year ruling and the driver improvement scheme, companies and individuals are going to be forced out of business, adding to unemploymen.

"This will affect not only drivers and operators but also whole families."

Stressing the association was not opposed to any measures to make sure the public have the highest standards available to make journeys safe, in a statement, the association says it would like to see vehicles applying for their initial first taxi licence plate being less than five years old. Thereafter, all vehicles should be subject to MOT and taxi test as laid down by the council until they reach the age of 10 years.

The association would also like a local knowledge test as opposed to the driver improvement scheme., so that all drivers, especially those who come from other towns and have Rossendale badges, have local knowledge.

Ann said: "Not all the public who travel in Rossendale taxis are from the Valley. We do get visitors to the area and they expect to get into a local taxi with a driver who has local knowledge of the area."

Ann said to get a new driver on the road cost the firms £264.65 -- £128 for the taxi badge, £92 for a medical and £44.65 for the new driver improvement scheme test, but the companies had only been allowed to increase their fares by 25p per journey, despite the increased charges and higher costs of fuel.

Coun Neil Smith, chairman of the taxi and private hire licensing sub-committee, said: "The age limit on vehicles was set last December, so I can't understand why they are choosing to protest now without giving the public much notice about it.

"Virtually every form of public transport requires drivers to take a separate test, for example, bus drivers and train drivers. Bearing in mind that the test is only slightly more difficult than the normal driving test, I don't see what the objection is.

"All we are trying to do it make sure the people of Rossendale are carried in vehicles that are safe by drivers who know how to operate their vehicles at all times.

"It is total fiction that we do not listen to the association."