Taxi drivers are "cherry picking" their fares by locking their doors and demanding that late-night customers divulge their destination before taking on jobs.

Melbourne club owners say drivers are routinely refusing to drive people across the city or to nearby suburbs, despite it being illegal to refuse fares that are short or inconvenient.

Melbourne taxi by a waiting taxi rank. Credit:Paul Rovere

Tramp bar owner Steve Pethybridge blames a large proportion of the city's street violence on difficulties getting taxis home.

Mr Pethybridge said some of the drivers who stop at the "Safe City" taxi rank near his King Street nightclub wind their window down an inch and ask people where they are going before choosing whether to take them.