Focus on passenger safety!

On 21 March 2024 Pendle Council voted in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion to implement stronger taxi safety measures, and yet when a second motion was moved on 19th December 2024, out of almost 900 drivers registered in Pendle only 3% of taxi drivers have signed up and are using the App.

The Liberal Democrat motion requested the taxi licensing committee to enter into meaningful dialogue with hackney and private hire representatives to address safety of vehicles serving the people of Pendle, including the introduction of digital vehicle safety checks as previously agreed.

With the three Conservatives who turned up to the meeting voting in favour of delaying the start of negotiations, including one Tory from Barrowford changing the way he voted, and with some Tory councillors absent (including four from Colne), the votes of three Conservatives in favour the amendment passed, further delaying the implementation of this  passemger safety scheme.

The scheme as a whole was pass by a single vote, but the amendment 'suspended' the app's introduction by 3 months.

In March, the Liberal Democrats successfully pushed through the safety scheme (again by a single vote). Prior to that, the then Tory leader of Pendle Council had used his casting vote to scupper tighter taxi safety rules.

Both the Conservatives and the Independent group are letting people down on this crucial issue of safety for the people of Pendle.