THE number of minicabs licensed in Oxford has more than doubled in a decade, according to new figures.

In 2005 there were 308 private hire vehicles licensed but this had leapt to 697 by last year, a city council report found.

In the same period, the number of Hackney carriages licensed increased by just one – to 107 overall – but demand for the vehicles dropped by 10 per cent.

A survey of 200 people found 75 per cent considered the higher costs of Hackney carriages a "problem". Almost 80 per cent said they usually booked with private hire firms.

Colin Cook, vice-chairman of the city council's licensing committee, warned Hackney carriage drivers they needed to "raise their game".

He said: "Clearly the competition from the likes of less expensive private hire vehicles will have an impact and they are going to need to address some of the issues.

"If you look at somewhere like Reading, the drivers are better-dressed and take better care of their cars.

"For some people, the quality of service will persuade them to pick one driver over another so Hackney carriage drivers in Oxford need to raise their game."

Mr Cook said the city council would consider running customer service training courses for taxi drivers, in what would be a similar scheme to one in Liverpool.

He added the huge rise in private vehicles might be because of the economic downturn that occurred within the last 10 years: "People look for alternative job opportunities and ways to make money."

The report also revealed that, for the first time, the total number of licensed vehicles in the city – including Hackney carriages – rose above 800 last year.