BLACKBURN’S taxi drivers have appealed to council bosses to keep the four-year-old ‘temporary’ rank outside the town’s market.

A total of 45 drivers have signed a petition calling for the four hackney carriage bays on Church Street to be retained when the redevelopment of the central shopping area is complete.

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The document tells Blackburn with Darwen’s executive board: “We believe it is imperative to retain the ranks, not only for our livelihoods, which would suffer a serious loss of income, but for our customers.”

The ranks was opened as a temporarily measure on June 2011 after the opening of the town centre’s £8 million market.

It was retained after appeals from taxi drivers during the extensive town centre works connected with the new £5 million bus station and £33 million Cathedral Quarter development.

With the majority of work on both due to finish by the end of the year, they now fear the council will close the rank on Church Street, originally pedestrianised in 2001.

Mohammed Younis, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Hackney Driver Association said: “We have put up with a lot of disruption during the town centre works.

“We need to keep this taxi rank.

“It is vital to our drivers’ future prosperity.”

The petition says: “The Church Street taxi rank is situated in a prime location outside the market making it ideal for shoppers and disabled passengers.

“It is very well used by the public.”

It accuses the council of a ‘lack of consultation’ over its ‘Town Centre Movement Strategy’ which includes a review of taxi ranks after the current redevelopment works are complete.

The Church Street rank replaced the former taxi bays in Penny Street.

Officers tell the executive board, which meets on Thursday (Mar 12), there is a conflict between the rank and the demands of motorists using short stay pay and display parking bays.

They add: “There is no doubt that that this temporary rank has proved extremely popular.”

Council regeneration boss Maureen Bateson said: “We will consult further on the future of this originally temporary rank.

“The drivers’ views will be taken into account.”