BOTH private hire and hackney carriage fares in Blackburn and Darwen were increased in the week leading up to Christmas.

Both sets of drivers - around 600 private hire and 70 hackney carriage - say it isn't through choice.

Mohammed Nawaz Khan, chairman of the Blackburn with Darwen Private Hire Association, said: "In the last two years we have not put our fares up.

"We've been forced to do it now because of the increases we've had to shoulder.

"It's getting to the point where our drivers find it difficult to make a living and many have to leave the business and find other jobs."

Steve Grunshaw, of A2B Private Hire, said: "All the costs keep going up.

"It seems that there's a new one every month.

"You can work from 6am until 6pm and after all the costs you've only made £20."

Zulf Chaudry, of A2B, said: "I have a young family and I am finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

"I don't know about the future but I know many have left the job because they can't make enough money."

Parvez Ahmed, chairman of the Blackburn and Darwen Hackney Carriage Association, said "If we hadn'd had that rise we would have effectively been driven off the road."

"Diesel is going up in price, as is insurance. We need the extra money to keep going.

"Blackburn isn't like other towns where there is a lot of trade all day.

"We have just a few hours a day when we are busy, and a lot of them are short journeys.

"We need the extra money on shorter journeys because we do more of them."