Five cabbies penalised as police and council stop taxis and PHVs in Blackburn
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Taxi and private hire drivers in Blackburn were issued penalty points following a joint enforcement operation carried out by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Lancashire Police.
The council said its licensing team worked alongside police officers last Friday night to stop and inspect vehicles as part of ongoing efforts to ensure drivers are properly licensed and operating safe vehicles.
A total of 20 vehicles were stopped during the operation. Nine of those vehicles were licensed by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, according to the authority.
Council-issued penalty points were handed to five drivers. The penalties related to drivers not wearing their official identification badges or vehicles failing to display the correct private hire signage, both of which are licence conditions.
Licensing officers and Lancashire Police stopped 20 vehicles during a late-night compliance check, with penalty points issued for badge and signage breaches
Police officers also issued two traffic offence reports during the checks. The council did not specify the nature of the traffic offences.
A spokesperson for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council said the operation formed part of its continuing commitment to maintaining safety standards within the taxi and private hire sector, particularly around licensing compliance and vehicle standards.
Joint operations between councils and police forces are common across the UK taxi sector, as authorities respond to concerns around unlicensed driving, vehicle safety and public confidence in local transport services.
Licensing enforcement teams typically focus on visible compliance measures such as badges and signage, which allow passengers and enforcement officers to quickly identify licensed drivers and vehicles.
The council did not indicate whether further enforcement nights are planned, but said it continues to work with Lancashire Police to monitor standards across the borough’s licensed fleet.
