A COUNCIL chief has hit back in the row over two parking tickets issued to a cabbie waiting for less than a minute to enter a taxi rank.


Altaf Patel was furious after being given £50 and £70 penalties in a fortnight at the rank in Railway Road, Blackburn.

He said the same warden issued the tickets and he could not understand the cost difference.

Martin Eden, director of environment and leisure, said Mr Patel had breached a voluntary system agreed between the drivers.

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He said: “There is a voluntary system in place, which was agreed between the drivers themselves, whereby if there isn’t space to park on the marked taxi rank in Church Street, then there’s space to park up across the road in Railway Road. When one taxi in the queue moves off, the others move along the line.

“Next to the Church Street taxi rank is a H sign which indicates a dropped kerb for disabled access, parking here creates an obstruction and is an offence, not only in Blackburn with Darwen but anywhere else in the country. 

“On these two particular occasions the driver was advised that he couldn’t park in that area and was asked to move or he would be issued with a penalty notice.

“The matter is now within a legal process and if the driver believes that the notice should not have been issued or that it was issued incorrectly, they have the right to appeal as per the guidance on the reverse of the notice.”