'It will be a nightmare if everyone quibbles'

Taxi drivers have given a mixed reception to news that customers will be able to haggle over their fares.

When the Evening Standard tried to force down the price on short runs across central London, two out of five cabbies agreed on a lower figure than their estimates.

For a trip from Charing Cross to Kensington High Street, we were told the fare would be more than ?10. After flatly rejecting an offer of ?7, driver Dennis Jury agreed to do the trip for ?8 - it eventually ran to ?10. But the 68-yearold did not believe the move would be a success. "It would be a nightmare if everybody comes in trying to haggle," he said.

Another driver agreed to do the same trip for ?8 after we claimed to be "short of money". But three drivers refused to haggle. "Whatever is on the meter," said one before driving off. Another, 35-year-old James Ryan, explained: "I don't mind haggling with people... but if people are given the right to haggle it gets messy."