Pendle’s taxi app row: A divided council, delayed rollout, and growing frustrations
Pendle Council finds itself at the centre of a heated debate over the rollout of a mandatory taxi safety app. Initially slated for a February 2025 deadline, the scheme has faced strong resistance from the local taxi trade, with only 3% of the area’s nearly 900 drivers signed up.
Councillors have now voted to delay the app’s implementation, sparking tensions across party lines and reigniting broader concerns over the council’s relationship with taxi drivers.
The app, designed to introduce digital safety checks and enhance standards, was intended to address persistent issues flagged during vehicle inspections.
However, opposition has grown, with critics citing low driver uptake, potential costs, and fears of drivers seeking licences in neighbouring authorities. Independent Councillor Mohammed Iqbal led the charge against the app, urging the council to scrap it altogether and focus on repairing relations with the trade.
Councillor Iqbal warned of administrative chaos if the app proceeded, stating: “Out of 800 taxi drivers, only 30 or so have signed up. If we had that level of uptake in other areas of work, we would be concerned. How are we going to manage this?
“The taxi committee could face dealing with four or five drivers at every meeting. Councillors would be sitting until midnight, with hundreds of interviews.”
Councillor Whipp pointed to ongoing safety concerns and claiming years of dialogue have led nowhere. Whipp said: “We have talked for years with the trade and got nowhere. We have continued to see quite appalling results from spot-checks and tests done in garages. The app is simple to use and cheap. If it became more expensive in future, we could look at other providers and get a better offer."
Some councillors have called for a middle-ground solution, including paper-based safety checks. Conservative group leader Nadeem Ahmed suggsted the council’s handling of the issue had turned taxis into a political football for two decades, eroding trust with drivers. Ahmed said: "We have been talking about taxis for 20 years without making real progress. It has been used for political purposes time and time again. The administration's relationship with the trade has broken down.”
