HACKNEY cab numbers in Basingstoke will not be increased after a study revealed the average passenger waits less than a minute for a cab.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which issues licences to hackney cabs, carried out a survey to see if more were needed.

Drivers had argued against increasing the number from 55, believing there would not be enough work to go round.

The survey showed passengers waited an average of 54 seconds for a hackney cab, while drivers had to wait an average of 11 minutes for each fare.

The borough council's licensing committee decided to keep a cap on numbers to ensure hackney cab drivers would be able to earn a reasonable living.

However, they said they would monitor the situation continuously, instead of carrying out a survey every three years.