TAXIS and buses are doing their bit to help shoppers and revellers get around over the Christmas and New Year period.

The borough’s 60 hackney cabs are pegging fares across the festive season to normal rates to help hard-pressed residents who either cannot or do not want to drive.

The council is also subsidising a limited bus service on Boxing Day to help those out shopping or working.

The Blackburn Hackney Drivers’ Association is keeping the normal tariffs starting at £2.30 plus mileage during the day and £2.40 late at nights instead of the normal Christmas and New year ‘tariff three’ with a £3.50 starting fare and higher mileage charges.

Driver Abdul Hafiz, of the association, said: “We have 60 cabs in the borough and have listened to out customers.

“We have decided to keep fares at the normal daily and night rates for the whole Christmas and New Year period.

“This is in recognition of the current economic climate. We know that our customers have to be careful with their money.

“We want to make sure they can afford to take a taxi if they need one.

“What we don’t want to is to find people going out for a drink and driving afterwards because of the cost of a taxi.

“The drivers want to make sure local people can afford to enjoy themselves and stay safe this Christmas and New Year.

“We are doing our bit for borough residents.”

The extra Boxing Day bus services will help people get to Blackburn and Darwen town centres for work or shopping, visit the Royal Blackburn Hospital and get to the Boxing Day Blackburn Rovers match at Ewood Park.

There will be changes to normal routes with some circular services, provided by Darwen Coach Services, with all travel passes accepted.

The services are Service 1 Blackburn to Darwen; Service 2 Blackburn to Feniscowles via Ewood; Service 152 Feniscowles to Blackburn; Service 12C and 12A Highercroft Circular; Service 3 Revidge; Service 4A Mill Hill; Service 22A Blackburn to RBH, Shadsworth and Intack and Service 22A Brownhill and Roe Lee to Blackburn.

Services will run hourly.

Council highways boss Maureen Bateson said: “We haven’t done this for some years but decided it was important there was a service on Boxing Day.”