
Police and licensing officers inspected 254 licensed taxis and PHVs during a two-day enforcement operation across Preston, Chorley and Blackpool.
The checks took place on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October as part of Lancashire Constabulary’s ongoing NightSafe campaign, aimed at keeping passengers safe and ensuring vehicles and drivers meet the required standards.
Officers from Lancashire Police’s Roads Policing Unit joined forces with licensing teams from nine councils, including Preston, Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle, South Ribble, Chorley, Sefton, Blackpool, Wolverhampton and Knowsley.
The operation revealed:
• 254 licensed vehicles inspected
• 26 traffic offences identified and dealt with, including illegal tyres and defective lights.
• Two drug searches carried out on passengers under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Officers were looking for unlicensed drivers and were also checking vehicles for mechanical defects and safety issues, including tyres, brakes, lights and seatbelts.
POLICE PRAISE THE VAST MAJORITY OF TAXI DRIVERS
Sergeant Ben Elliott, from Lancashire Police’s Roads Policing Unit, stressed that the overwhelming majority of taxi and private hire drivers are professional, conscientious and committed to passenger safety.
He said the checks were designed to identify those failing to meet the required standards, tackle offences and maintain public confidence in the trade.
While enforcement is essential for passenger safety, it is equally important to recognise the thousands of professional, law-abiding taxi and private hire drivers who work hard every day to keep the public safe.

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