Wandsworths minicab firms have welcomed London Mayor Ken Livingstones new licensing laws, but warn regulations will be difficult to enforce.

They say while tough new rules will crack down on rogue drivers and touts, there will be problems checking up on firms.

Concerns were raised following news that the Greater London Authoritys deadline date for London minicab firms to be legally licensed has been pushed back from Monday of this week to December 22.

Now firms who have already forked out more than £900 for a five-year operators licence say the rules have to be across the board or they will not work.

Ian Ferguson, managing director of KB Cars Ltd in Roehampton and Wandsworth, as well as Putney Car Service in Upper Richmond Road, said: The licensing laws will not only benefit the customer, they will also benefit mini cab operators.

But it has to be a level playing field, otherwise customer confidence will fall. We have got to be positive about these steps to take them forward.

The problem will be enforcing the laws. At the moment the Public Carriage Office (regulators for the taxi and minicab trade) has 13 licensing officers they should have 20.

Minicab firms must pay a £962 fee for the five-year licence.

To qualify for a licence, operators have to declare any previous convictions and demonstrate they are properly insured to operate, have planning permission for their premises and make available records of all bookings, vehicles, drivers and complaints.

Cab operators are also required to log detailed bookings for up to six months.

Mr Livingstone said around 2,000 applications for licences had been processed. He added: We expected a late rush, and that rush has now brought us what we estimate to be almost all, if not all, of the firms.

A spokesman for Battersea Cars said: We have been licensed and it can only increase business. It is a filtering process and as such acts as a reassurance for the public.

Transport for London, the GLAs affiliated body, says proposals next in the pipeline are for driver and vehicle

licensing.

By.Jenny Vereker