Police and Chorley Council launch roadside taxi blitz as drivers face inspections, investigations and vehicle checks
- Perry Richardson
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Chorley Council and Lancashire Police have reported high levels of compliance among licensed taxi drivers following a joint enforcement operation carried out as part of National Licensing Week.
The initiative, known as Operation Abacus, saw council licensing officers working alongside Lancashire Police and Lancashire Constabulary Specials to conduct targeted inspections of licensed vehicles operating across the borough.
Officers established checkpoints at various locations to examine vehicles and ensure they were meeting licensing requirements and being maintained to an appropriate safety standard. A total of 30 licensed vehicles, including vehicles licensed by several different authorities, were inspected during the operation.
Only three vehicles were issued with defect notices, with officers identifying minor faults such as defective lights. Drivers receiving notices must rectify the issues and present their vehicles for reinspection before the matter is closed.
Importantly for passengers and operators, no vehicles were found to have faults serious enough to warrant immediate suspension from service. The majority of vehicles inspected were deemed safe, suitable and fully compliant with licensing conditions.
The operation also identified a small number of licensing concerns. One driver licensed by another authority is under investigation after officers suspected they were operating without the appropriate licence and insurance.
In a separate case, a driver was found not to be carrying their driver badge and was instructed to return home to retrieve and present it to officers, which they subsequently did.
Alongside taxi enforcement activity, police officers dealt with unrelated incidents encountered during the operation. One vehicle was seized under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 following allegations of anti-social driving behaviour at a checkpoint. Another individual was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
Councillor Alex Hilton, Chorley Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Development, which includes licensing responsibilities, said: “Operations like this demonstrate the importance of strong partnership working in keeping our residents safe and maintaining high standards across our licensed trade.
“We are committed to ensuring that everyone travelling in Chorley can do so with confidence, and that means taking proactive action where needed while also supporting the many compliant drivers who do an excellent job day in, day out.”
Hilton added that the council would continue working with enforcement partners to undertake proactive compliance checks while supporting licensed drivers operating within the rules.
Roads Policing Sergeant Ben Elliott said: “As part of Nightsafe, we carry out operations like this all year round to ensure that people are kept safe, that taxis are properly licensed, roadworthy and driven by people who meet the standards expected of them.”
