SWOOP CENTRAL FOUR ILLEGAL TYRES IN COVENTRY SWOOP


A taxi driver will be prosecuted after all four tyres were found to be illegal following nighttime checks by road safety bosses in Coventry city centre. Police were joined by staff from Coventry City Council the DVSA in the recent operation.


A total of 34 taxis and PHVs were checked during the night, including 27 from Coventry firms and


seven from Nuneaton and Bedworth. The Coventry Tele- graph reports that in total 22 of those from Coventry were found to have no problems at all, while two need- ed a new tyre which was changed at the scene and two were told work needed to be carried out on minor mechanical problems.


Another taxi was found to have faults


including lights, no first aid kit and prob- lems with a ramp to help disabled pas- sengers.


Of the Nuneaton and Bedworth taxis, three were fault-free, with others needing work to areas such as tyres and lights and one faces prosecution for having a vehicle in a dangerous condition after all four tyres were found to be ille- gal.


14 TAXIS SEIZED BY WARWICKS POLICE


A total of 14 vehicles were seized over two evenings in a crack- down on the safety and licensing of taxis. Local Safer Neigh- bourhood Police Officers and cross- border enforcement teams targeted taxis across Atherstone and Coleshill recently stopping numerous vehicles.


The Stratford Herald reports that one taxi was seized having


four bald tyres, a defective headlamp and no road tax. As well as being report- ed for driving of- fences, the driver was warned about losing his taxi licence. Another taxi was seized for having no road tax, a driver fined £35 for smoking in his taxi and a num- ber of minor traffic offences reported. Sergeant Mitch Oak- ley, of Warwickshire


Police, said: “It is important that those people we put our trust in, are moni- tored on a regular basis to ensure that their vehicles and licensing meet the required standards. “As we often do, we worked with other teams within the police force, govern- ment and council gaining maximum benefit from joint efforts.”


TWELVE PENDLE TAXIS TAKEN OFF THE ROAD


Twelve of 13 taxis were taken off the road after spot checks carried out in Pendle. Some had different sized tyres on the same axle, there were missing wheel nuts, serious suspension faults, indicators did not work and one was unfit to drive. Only one car, owned by VIP, passed the inspection. One car, with a bald tyre, was back on the road the same day. Seven had faults


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repaired the following day, while others took a little longer. All were back on the road within a week. The figures were revealed at Pendle’s licensing committee, prompting a political row over the age of vehicles used as taxis. In the spot check, the cars were mostly seven or eight years old. Currently, taxis cannot be any older than nine years. Labour councillors wanted to remove the


age limit but the pro- posal was outvoted by Conservatives, cit- ing concerns over public safety.


Cllr Joe Cooney told the Nelson Leader: “These spot check results are truly shocking. 12 were not roadworthy, and these weren’t minor fails. As a local authority we have a responsibility to the public to make sure we’re doing all we can to protect them from dangerous taxis.”


‘UNSAFE’ COTSWOLD TAXIS TAKEN OFF ROAD


Three taxis in the Cotswolds were found to have safety faults and were taken off the road.


The Gloucestershire Echo reports that it happened on Friday


September 4 when licensing officers from Cotswold Dis- trict Council and police officers from the Cotswold Neigh- bourhood Policing Team carried out


licence and premises checks on taxis and pubs in the Cotswold district.


One vehicle was seized by the police for having been used without insurance.


SUCCESSFUL SELBY SAFETY OPERATION


An operation to check the safety of licensed taxis and PHVs in Selby has been deemed a suc- cess.


Selby District Coun- cil, North Yorkshire


Police and the DVSA, carried out spot checks on 14 taxi and private hire licence holders in August. According to the York Press, a council spokesman said ten


vehicles were exam- ined without a fault, three had minor issues, and one received a prohibition notice which was later withdrawn when the fault was rectified.


BOLTON CRACKDOWN ON COMMUNITY ISSUES


Taxi drivers taking rubbish to the tip ille- gally were among those targeted in a week-long police crackdown in Great Lever.


Police had street sur- geries and knocked on doors throughout Great Lever, listening to concerns. They


then worked along- side the council and other partners after drawing up a shortlist of things that had concerned people. The Bolton News reports that last month officers were at the Viridor tip and discovered some taxi drivers were being


paid to carry com- mercial waste to the tip, despite being licensed only to carry passengers.


This is an issue which police have had com- plaints about and several taxis were caught taking com- mercial waste to the tip.


HALF OF SOUTH GLOS TAXIS HAD FAULTS


More than half of taxi drivers stopped in a police operation had faults. Traffic officers from Avon and Somerset Police and licensing officers from South Gloucestershire Coun- cil teamed up to check the safety of taxi drivers and their vehicles in Bradley Stoke recently. The officers stopped 29 drivers, 16 of whose vehicles had faults, including defec- tive lights or tyres.


Although the opera- tion was about education rather than enforcement, four drivers were given police prohibition no- tices or council stop prohibition notices. No arrests were made and all of the drivers passed alcohol breath tests.


Since the operation, the faults in all but one of the vehicles given prohibition notices have been rectified. PC Richard Villis told the Post: “The taxi


drivers appreciated seeing police and council officers carry- ing out important checks that can only reassure the public about taxi safety. “We were pleased to find so few faults with the vehicles we ex- amined.”


A spokesman from South Gloucester- shire Council added: “We carry out these checks on a regular basis to ensure the health and safety of the travelling public.”


OCTOBER 2015


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