A council has responded after taxi drivers queried why MOT tests were being conducted for the City of Wolverhampton at garages in Blackburn.
The Lancashire Telegraph can now reveal a total of 390 private hire drivers living and operating in Blackburn and Darwen have been licenced by the West Midlands authority, which is 80 miles away.
Concerns were raised by local cabbies, who said they had seen garages in Blackburn advertising MOTs for drivers licensed in the City of Wolverhampton.
There is no law restricting where private hire drivers can operate, and seeing taxis outside of the boroughs in which they are licensed is not a new phenomenon - though the sheer number of cars licensed in Wolverhampton being seen in Blackburn has raised concerns.
Blackburn with Darwen Council said Wolverhampton Council has 36,000 licensed private hire drivers operating all over the country.
Some Hackney carriage drivers in Blackburn with Darwen have complained about out-of-town private hire drivers, in particular Uber drivers registered in Wolverhampton, undercutting them and taking their business.
Presently, Blackburn with Darwen Council has its own MOT testing station which it runs separately, with tests conducted at the council's Motor Vehicle Service Station (MVSS) at its Davyfield Depot.
Blackburn with Darwen Council said some cabbies may be using the city council’s testing stations as they were cheaper.
The council also questioned if City of Wolverhampton enforcement teams could actively conduct checks on cabbies as they were ‘100 miles away’ and also had to police ’36,000 drivers across the country’.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has 1155 drivers and 816 vehicles licensed with it.
The City of Wolverhampton Council confirmed it had approved garages in Blackburn and these were being used to carry out MOTs on private hire vehicles.
These were being advertised at Blackburn garages for £50.
A spokesperson for City of Wolverhampton Council said: “There are currently 390 private hire vehicles in Blackburn licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council.
"These are not drivers from outside the area, they are residents of Blackburn.
“While City of Wolverhampton Council has never actively encouraged applications from drivers outside the city, existing legislation requires that if an application is submitted and requirements are met, then the application must be granted.
"There is no lawful basis to refuse an application from someone who lives somewhere else in the country.
“Applicants have always been able to apply to any licensing authority for taxi licences and the council may not refuse an applicant simply because they live in a different area.
"It is illegal for licensing authorities to impose a limit on the number of private hire licences it issues.”
The council said it ‘did not gain financially as the fees for taxi licensing are legally ringfenced for spending only on related activities.’
The statement added: “Where our income generates a surplus, due to economies of scale, we must return the money to the trade by reducing our fees.
“Applicants are usually local to the area they drive in; the vast majority of drivers licensed by Wolverhampton live outside the city.
"But many have chosen to be licensed in Wolverhampton due to our efficient, yet rigorous, licensing process.
“Our early adoption of digital technology has allowed us to offer a simple and efficient online application procedure, with the requirement that drivers attend in person for training and strict assessment before an application can be processed.
“Public safety is of paramount importance to us. Partnership working with our Licensing colleagues and other agencies shows our commitment to upholding our responsibilities; we expect drivers and vehicles licensed by us to always maintain the highest standards.
“This is irrespective of the administrative boundary within which they are operating at any particular time.”
The council added that drivers are regulated by Wolverhampton Council and can legally work anywhere in the country.
The statement added: “We take enforcement responsibilities seriously and our officers are out across the country, every Friday and Saturday night, working to protect the public.
“Anyone with evidence of any issues they have experienced with a driver can contact us on our website."
What has Blackburn with Darwen Council said?
Blackburn with Darwen Council has urged people to support cabbies that are ‘licensed in the borough’.
Councillor Jim Smith, executive member for environment and operations, said: “We are aware more locally based taxis are trading within Blackburn with Darwen which are licensed in Wolverhampton.
"However, due to the current licensing legislation, we have no legal powers to stop them from trading in our borough.
“Drivers are going to Wolverhampton to be licensed because it’s made deliberately cheaper.
"The City of Wolverhampton Council currently license more than 36,000 private hire drivers across England.
"How can they check on the standard of taxis and support taxi drivers in Blackburn with Darwen, when they are almost 100 miles away?
“The council sympathises with local taxi drivers who are licensed by the council and trade in the borough.
"When residents are booking taxis, I would ask them to please consider their local taxi companies and show support for those drivers who are licenced in Blackburn with Darwen."
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