HARRY Robinson (Letters, November 1) asked whether rules are being enforced in respect of taxis.

In Blackburn and Darwen, regular visits are made to taxi operators and drivers. Taxi operators are given a score, depending on how well they manage their business. This score then determines how frequently they are inspected.

Drivers' licences are inspected by officers. This includes work at weekend evenings, which tries to identify any unlicensed drivers.

The Council's target is to undertake approximately 800 inspections per year in relation to the taxi trade. We are hopeful that we will be able to meet this.

The next meeting of the Council's Licensing Committee Councillors will review what action to take against two operators who failed to comply with Council requirements.

The Council takes seriously its responsibility to protect public safety. Not only does this mean ensuring the safety of the public travelling in taxis, but also the safety of the taxi drivers who may be verbally or physically assaulted by a minority of customers.

We will continue to introduce measures to improve safety standards for all and welcome suggestions as to how this can be achieved.

In December, the licensing service is going to introduce customer satisfaction surveys to develop suggestions for improvement within the taxi trade.

Councillor JIM BLACKBURN, chairman, Licensing Committee, Blackburn with Darwen Council.