Bolton taxi drivers say they are “in limbo” over controversial changes planned to their industry after a meeting with Metro Mayor Andy Burnham.

The meeting this week between taxi driver representatives and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham was set up by Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi.

The drivers told Mr Burnham fear that the proposed Clean Air Zone and Minimum Licensing Standards (MLS) policies could force them out of business and have held a series of protests to show their opposition.

Bolton private hire association secretary Yasif Khan said: “Obviously at the moment we’re in limbo, its stressful because this is about our livelihoods.

“They’ve got to take cost of living and rising gas prices into account, we just wish someone would make a decision and let us know what its going to be.”

The MLS proposal would mean taxi vehicles would have to be less than five years old on first registration and have been on the road for less than 10 years to avoid a charge.

The Bolton News:

Metro Mayor Andy Burnham, with Yasmin Qureshi MP, Cllr Nick Peel, Cllr Rabiya Jiva and leaders of the taxi trade in Bolton

The Clean Air Zone will also hit drivers with charges if approved.

Mr Khan said: “The government and the council have both been throwing the ball to each other and we’re caught in the middle, we don’t know where we are.”

BPHA vice chair Mahmood Akhtar thanked Ms Qureshi for setting up the meeting with Mr Burnham and for the support she has shown them.

Mr Burnham told Mr Khan and the others he had written to Boris Johnson on the matter, but more than three weeks on he has not received a reply.

Ms Qureshi said: ““This meeting between the Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham and the heads of the taxi trade in Bolton was crucial to provide all parties the chance to discuss their concerns and how we move forward now that the Government has finally paused the legal directive which was placed on Greater Manchester.

"This entire process has been tough for everyone involved.

“Our ten local authorities in Greater Manchester were bounced into introducing this by the government’s legal directive, only for local Conservative MPs to then play politics by criticising the Mayor, who had no real say in the entire process, and local councils for introducing it.

“For the Prime Minister to also mislead the House of Commons on this matter at Prime Minister’s Questions recently shows that it is being used as a political football rather than in good faith.”