TESTS, INSPECTIONS BRIGHTON AND HOVE COUNCIL AND SUSSEX POLICE CATCH UNLICENSED DRIVER
On Friday 29 July, Sussex Police, supported by Brighton & Hove City Council Taxi Licencing team, were out conducting checks in the city. This vehicle was stopped and the driver was found to be an unlicensed driver and not covered by any insurance policy. The driver has been reported for the driving offences and is now under investigation for being an unlicensed driver. The police work closely with taxi marshalls from Pagoda Security in the city who ensure vulnerable
people get home safely. Stuart Aldred of Pagoda Security said: “We are so pleased to be working with both the police and council to help safeguard vulnerable people in the night
time economy and provide a valued and important service.” The marshals patrol taxi ranks at East Street and West Street between 1am and 5am on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Andy Peters, Brighton & Hove Cab Trade Association, commented: “Well done B&H Licensing and Sussex police. We know this is going on with so many unmarked cars pretending to be cabs. We are now back to pre 1976 due to the Deregulation Act 1976 which we predicted.”
MORE THAN 7 IN 10 BLACKBURN w DARWEN VEHICLES FAIL TESTS
More than seven in ten of Blackburn with Darwen’s taxi and PHVs fail their initial road worthiness test, council documents reveal. And 70 per cent of the cabs are at least ten years old. According to the Lancashgire Telegraph, the figures are revealed in a report by the authority’s environment boss Cllr Jim Smith. It follows a request from Blackburn with Darwen Taxi Forum for a review of the testing regime. It asked for the work to be outsourced to private garages rather than all conducted at the council’s Motor Vehicle Service Station at it Davyfield Depot. Conservative councillor and taxi driver Tiger Patel said: “The Blackburn with Darwen taxi and PHV testing regime is too strict, too expensive and there are too few testing stations. “The cost of retesting is one of the
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highest in the country. We want to have five independent testing stations in Blackburn and two in Darwen. The council does not want to lose its £750,000 income from testing our vehicles.” Cllr Smith’s report decides to keep the current system and single testing station at Davyfield Depot. It says: “The taxi/PH trade within Blackburn with Darwen has requested a review of the vehicle safety testing provision within the borough. The last review was in 2018. “The current system requires all vehicles to be tested at the council’s Motor Vehicle Service Station. A number of the trade would prefer more options. “The age profile of the PHV and HC fleet shows 70 per cent of vehicles are at least ten-years-old. “On first presentation to MVSS for testing 72 per cent fail. Of the retests carried out the average
percentage free of charge is 27. “The cost of the test at MVSS has not increased since 2015. “The in-house model ensures good controls in consistency of testing but does not allow for competition. “Introducing competition may bring about a reduction in the cost of the actual test but this is likely to be eroded by increased costs for tendering, contract monitoring and administration which would be added into the cost of a licence. “The principal purpose of licensing is to protect the public. Until ten years ago the council required all PHVs to be less than ten years old. For HCVs the age limit was 15 years. “Current data indicates that tests are available within 24 hours. Some members feel the testing regime may be over stringent, however a spot check by DVSA in summer 2021 confirmed testing is in line with their requirements.”
SEPTEMBER 2022 PHTM
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