Bolton taxi drivers to be warned after town centre concerns

This comes after a special police operation around Bradshawgate just before Christmas, where officers,joined by councillors, and dealt with several outbreaks of disturbances.

Cllr Ryan Bamforth, of Horwich North, said he noticed several concerns about taxi maneuvers and parking, which Bolton Council now says that the licencing unit will warn drivers about.

Cllr Bamforth said: “It was clear that the police have a lot to contend with and that was with one extra sergeant and eight extra constables on the ground.

“One matter arising was taxi drivers parking as and where they liked causing a risk the health and life along with illegal U-turn manoeuvres on a busy road.”

Cllrs Ryan Bamforth and David Grant out with police in December (Image: Cllr Ryan Bamforth)

As well as Cllr Bamforth, the operation on December 22 last year was joined by Cllrs David Grant, Rabiya Jiva, John Walsh, and Melanie Livesey.

They were out between 11pm and 7am along with the Chief Inspector and Inspector of Greater Manchester Police’s Bolton district.

Addressing a full meeting of Bolton Council, Cllr Bamforth asked the authority’s leadership if they would meet with him and the others who came to discuss what could be done.

In response, cabinet member for regulatory services Cllr Sue Haworth said that taxi drivers would be warned about behaviour like this.

She said: “In addition to the joint enforcement work, the licencing unit is going to be asking for a communication to be circulated to all private hire and hackney carriage services and their operators.

“This will outline concerns in respect of the compliance with parking regulations, the illegal U-turns and other safety concerns.”

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But Bolton Private Hire Association secretary Yasif Khan has said drivers in the town already know not to perform illegal manoeuvres despite the huge pressures they face.

He said: "Where does Bolton Council want us to go? They want the taxi drivers to bring the punters in, to help the night time economy and then to bring them home.

"They want us to do that but we've said we haven't got enough space there."

He added: "Our drivers, the Bolton drivers, we already tell them not to perform illegal manoeuvres.

"But there are licenced drivers from Wolverhampton and drivers from Uber there, not the Bolton drivers."