SWOOP CENTRAL
NINE DERBY TAXIS TAKEN OFF ROADS AFTER CHECKS
Nine taxis were banned from the road during a police opera- tion in Derby.
Seven were found to have defects, including worn tyres, during police checks on May
12. Two were banned for having a leaking battery and a power steering fluid leak dur- ing further checks on May 23.
Roads policing officer PC Lee Simpson told
the Derby Telegraph: “Taxi drivers need to be aware that we take vehicle defects serious- ly and their livelihoods may suffer if a prohibi- tion notice prevents them from driving.”
MIDLANDS CRACKDOWN TARGETS ILLEGAL CABS
Officials put the brakes on dodgy cabs during a major crackdown on illegal and unsafe taxis operating at East Mid- lands Airport.
A total of 47 vehicles were inspected from various local authori- ties within Leices- tershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire as well as authorities from fur- ther afield.
Of those 47, six were
immediately taken off the roads for danger- ous tyre defects. Only 17 vehicles were deemed as defect free. One driver is being investigated over alle- gations that passen- gers were being taken to the airport by an unlicensed driver and vehicle.
The enforcement oper- ation which took place on May 18, involved North West Leicester-
Announcing ............. (a little brother for TaxiMATE™ Executive) TaxiMATE™ Lite
shire District Council, (NWLDC), Leicester- shire Police, VOSA and officers from 11 other local authorities. John Richardson, NWLDC Head of Com- munity Services, said: “It is very disappointing that only 17 of the 47 vehicles inspected were free of defects. I hope this serves as a warning that taxi opera- tors must ensure the safety of their vehicles.”
FAULTS FOUND ON FOUR SOUTH DERBYSHIRE PROM VEHICLES
Faults were found in only four of 35 vehi- cles inspected during a Derbyshire school leaving event.
Officers from VOSA and South Der- byshire’s neighbour- hood policing team pulled over cars trans- porting pupils to the event at a school in Etwall.
The vehicles were checked for mechani- cal defects, tyres and loading as well as for valid MoTs, operator licences and checking drivers’ hours.
Out of the 35 vehicles inspected, including limousines, a London bus and an American- style school bus, four were found to have
faults. These included illegal window tints and seat belt problems and the drivers were given prohibition.
Safer neighbourhood sergeant, Steve Todd, told the Derby Tele- graph: “We are pleased the number of faulty vehicles is down significantly compared to last year.”
POLICE CRACKDOWN ON BRIGHOUSE DRIVERS
A police operation has led to two taxi drivers having their badges seized and several tickets being issued. Officers from the Lower Valley Neigh- bourhood Policing Team joined forces with VOSA, Customs and Excise, licensing and warrants targeting commercial vehicles. Vehicles, documents, drivers and passen- gers were all checked as part of the opera-
tion in Bradford Road, Brighouse.
A total of 42 vehicles were stopped and checked during the day. Of those, eight were issued with fixed penalty notices for vehicle defects, two hackney carriage driv- ers had their badges seized until faults had been rectified, and two fixed penalty notices were issued to drivers using their mobile phones. One vehicle
was found to be using red diesel, which resulted in a £500 fine. Sgt Dean Maddocks told the Brighouse Echo: “Many drivers we stopped were very appreciative of the checks conducted and for highlighting the faults. We know there are criminals who are travelling into the Brig- house area to commit crime and this is just one of the ways we are dealing with this issue.”
AYLESBURY VEHICLES FAIL SPOT TESTS, BUT POLICY REVIEW IS PUT ON HOLD
Affordable Booking, Despatch and Invoicing for the Smaller Business
Regarded as the most Intuitive and Easy-To-Use System Available Fully Featured for All Private Hire and Chauffeur Operations Plus Packs Available for Growth to the Fuller System
So, if you… want to progress from pen & paper, or are dissatisfied with your current booking system, and need a system that can grow with your business …take a look at TaxiMATE™ Lite.
Buy........Rent........Lease
The Management System of Choice! 0845 074 0545 SoftSol
software engineering services Call for a FREE demonstration or email
sales@softsol.ltd.uk PAGE 40
More than half of the taxis operating in Ayles- bury were found to be faulty when police organised a crackdown last month - yet a review of public vehicle licensing by Aylesbury Vale District Council is being postponed. In a joint operation between Thames Val- ley Police and the council, nine out of 22 vehicles stopped in a four-hour period were found to have mechan- ical faults requiring an MoT and a further six had minor mechanical problems or were found committing road traffic offences.
Several have had their licences removed pending further inves- tigation.
According to current
AVDC guidelines, taxis and public service vehi- cles cannot be licensed if they are more than ten years old. Vehicles are currently inspected once per year by an AVDC- approved garage if under six years old and twice per year if older. No vehicles aged more than ten years are licensed for public use, with the possible exception of hackney carriages or low mile- age vehicles used by disabled passengers. Peter Seal, licensing services manager for AVDC, told the Bucks Herald: “We wanted to reduce the age limits to four years for a PHV and eight years for a black cab in 2012, but this decision is now on
hold because of the economic climate.” Mr Seal denied that passengers are being put at risk by a delay in the licensing review. “All vehicles are given a very thorough ins- pection by an ap- proved garage. We will continue to work with the police if vehicles are found to be sub- standard.”
Sergeant Julie Dag- lish, from Thames Val- ley Police, said: “I would urge all taxi drivers in Aylesbury Vale to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy, not only for the safety of their customers, but to ensure they are able to carry on earning their living without falling foul of the law.”
PHTM JULY 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
