It was meant to be a big day for one of the Northwest’s best-known resorts.
Blackpool was all set to unveil a £23 million tram line on Wednesday (June 12) that would connect the Promenade tram to a new stop at Blackpool North railway station. However, it encountered an unexpected hurdle.
Local taxi drivers staged a protest that brought traffic on Talbot Road to a screeching halt. By strategically parking their taxis across the road between 10am and 12pm, they managed to cause disruption to other drivers and public transport routes.
The act was the culmination of an ongoing dispute in the seaside resort, fueled by the influx of ‘unknown’ drivers from companies such as Uber – as disgruntled local taxi drivers claimed.
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When questioned by LancsLive, Uber maintained the legality of their operations in Blackpool, but protesting drivers remained sceptical. They alleged that Uber drivers were circumventing the rules, such as using designated taxi stands to pick up passengers, which they said put travelers at risk.
And when contacted by LancsLive, Blackpool Council seemed less convinced by Uber’s claims. A spokesperson confirmed it is seeking legal advice on the operation of Uber vehicles in the city, saying the US tech giant is not currently licensed by the authority.
“I’m not saying they’re all operating illegally, because I believe if they’re booked through the app, Uber can operate, but I do believe there’s a lot of them operating illegally in the city,” one driver said Wednesday. ‘Not one thing is being done about it.
‘If we go one thing too far, we will be jumped by the municipality. All these out of town taxis are from Manchester, Liverpool, Knowsley. There was even a taxi here from Birmingham last week – they’ve come from all over.”
In recent years there has been a noticeable increase in the number of taxis registered in cities such as Wolverhampton, yet operating in Lancashire. Last year, LancsLive investigated this puzzling trend and found it was due to a change in the law in 2015.
This allowed licensed vehicles to travel elsewhere in several counties, with many taking advantage of the cheaper and faster registration process in the Midlands city.
Another taxi driver, who asked to remain unnamed, said: “Honestly, we’ve had enough. So this was the first of many and it will happen again.
‘We stopped traffic for about 40 minutes, the city center came to a complete standstill. Something has to happen. Ideally we want them out of Blackpool. [Uber], but if they have to be here, they have to be regulated. No one checks it.”
Uber has confirmed that its drivers operate legally with licenses obtained from various parts of Britain, although they admit that none of these licenses were issued by Blackpool. The company is currently in the process of applying for licenses in several cities across the UK, including Hull.
Chris Webb, who will stand again for Labor as MP for Blackpool South, raised the issue in his first question in the House of Commons last month. He also held a meeting with Uber, during which the company expressed its willingness to prevent its drivers from picking up passengers from taxi ranks in Blackpool.
Webb accused “unlicensed taxis” of “parking illegally in local queues” and effectively “taking fares from our hard-working, rule-abiding taxi drivers in Blackpool”.
In response, Uber has stated that passengers at these locations will not be able to book rides via the app, so no Uber driver should ever wait there. However, when LancsLive visited Blackpool North station for less than an hour on Wednesday afternoon, they saw at least two Uber-branded cars parked and driving through the taxi ranks.
Another taxi driver told LancsLive that the problem lies in the fact that Uber picks up train passengers at stations, while other taxi drivers pay an annual fee to serve and pick up passengers in these areas. It was revealed that drivers are paid almost £700 a year to work and sit in queues like those at Blackpool North train station.
A third director said he understands the competitive nature of the industry, but does not believe it is a level playing field.
A local taxi driver expressed frustration, saying, “I understand that at the end of the day they have work to do and if they have a booking, they have a booking,” but lamented the influx of Uber. drivers. “We can’t compete with those fares. Here you pay £10 to Pleasure Beach, for example for a family of six. That’s actually not a bad price, maybe for a lot of people, but it’s cheaper than a bus or tram, it costs £2 each or whatever, and they’ll do it for a fiver.’ He continued, highlighting the challenges: “There are so many and they are flooding the market.”
He added: “Some people would argue it is a competitive business and that is the world we live in. People want things fast and cheap and I understand that. But if they come to work here, they have to comply with the same rules as we do.”
A council spokesperson responded to the issue: “Taxi operators have alerted us to cases of Uber drivers operating in Blackpool and their concerns about this. The safety of our residents and visitors is always our priority.
“Uber is not currently licensed by Blackpool Council. We are seeking legal advice on this matter as we are aware that the legal framework surrounding taxi legislation is outdated and in need of review.”
The spokesperson concluded: “This is not a situation unique to Blackpool. We are speaking to both the Local Government Association and our neighboring authorities to ensure we deal with this robustly.”
An Uber spokesperson said: “Uber operates to the high standards set across the industry and adheres to the same rules as all other private hire companies. We strive to provide passengers with the best possible experience and work closely with municipalities across the country. is also an industry leader in providing every driver with a pension, holiday pay and health insurance, which almost all local taxi companies fail to do.”