A STAY-at-home Millennium - that's the prospect on the Fylde Coast as most taxi drivers are opting not to work on the world's biggest New Year celebration.

Blackpool Licensed Taxi-Drivers Association spokesman Mike Japp said: "The vast majority of drivers have already decided not to work - I certainly will not be working.

"At best it will be a very limited service. I think most people have already decided to stay at home and have family parties anyway because they've been shocked at the prices some places are charging for the night.

"There might be limited business early evening, but then there'll be nothing till 4 or 5 o'clock the following morning, with the drivers sat around twiddling their thumbs - it's not worth it."

For the few who do want to work, the fares they can charge are still uncertain - they are still awaiting a guideline from Blackpool Council five months after they applied, said Mr Japp.

Other areas, he went on, commonly charge double or even triple fares on ordinary Christmas and New Year nights, so they would need at least that as an incentive to work.

Wyre borough taxi drivers are also still awaiting guidelines from their council, but one proprietor said: "We've heard that a lot of pubs are going to be charging £50 for the night including all drinks and food - if people are paying that they're not going to move from one place to another - and when they do come out you're going to get all the aggravation.

Even if you can charge £200 it's not going to be worth it if they wreck your vehicle.

"I personally won't be working, but there are some die-hards who'll always work. It'll probably be the case that we'll take pre-booked jobs but if they're not pre-booked, you can't have them."

Fylde borough's Taxi Association has applied to Fylde Council to be able to charge triple time from 6pm to 6am, but is also still awaiting a verdict.

Even so, said spokesman Ian Beardwell, "The mood is, most drivers won't be working. Certainly if we don't get a triple tariff the majority won't bother."

Taxi office staff are an additional factor - some are said to be asking £800 to £1,000 to man the switchboard, which has to come out of taxi drivers' joint pockets.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.