Blackpool rejects PHV adverts following complaints from hackney drivers

pd website news blackpool ads

Blackpool council has rejected a proposal to allow private hire vehicles in the seaside town to display advertising.

Cllr Tony Williams, leader of the Conservative opposition group, had asked the council to consider the move to boost revenue for drivers. But the motion was lost by one vote after the Labour group voted against it.

Currently only hackney taxis are allowed to display adverts. Bill Lewtas, secretary of the Blackpool Licensed Taxi Operators Association (BLTOA), said the council’s decision was the right one, as the move would have made it harder for passengers to tell taxis and PHVs apart.

Lewtas said: “Private hire vehicles are by law not allowed to look like taxis, not allowed to put the word taxi on the vehicle and not allowed a roof sign. If this had been allowed private hire vehicles would have looked even more like taxis. In Blackpool it is already difficult for people to recognise the difference.”

Cllr Williams had argued drivers were facing financial challenges including rising fuel costs. He said both PHV and hackney drivers should be allowed to increase their revenue streams and promote local businesses through vehicle adverts.