Taxi Driver Online

At the local compliance garage this morning I asked the vehicle examiner what the pass rates were for cars in the area, and what were the most common faults.

He reckoned the most failures were with TX type taxis, with brakes and suspension bushes top of the list. Very few TXs passed first time. Saloon taxis were next worst for failure with a variety of faults. The best maintained cars seemed to be private hire cars, but what let them down were the Kia Sedonas with handbrake faults.

I suspect the TXs are rented out by 2 or 3 big companies who do very little maintenance; same with the saloon taxis, with the private hire cars tending to be run by small operators who want reliability and safety.

Maybe there should be some sort of compulsory regular safety check like we have in the bus industry?

Don't we already get them? I have 2 tests a year, what's a compliance garage?

Hmm, a lot of drivers seem to use the annual or bi-annual compliance test as a safety check, then wonder why they come away with a "fail" certificate and a huge repair bill! The compliance garage here in deepest Shepway is the place that does all the taxi and ph testing for the DC. Maybe you have a choice of where to go oop north?

Round here there's about 250 hacks and 38 ph, end of... so 1 garage can cope with that lot.

Ok is it a council garage or a private one? When does it go out for tender again? What do they charge for the testing of your vehicle? Is it in your licensing area?

I always have my vehiocle serviced before testing but things that my garage think are Ok (and they are an MOT testing station) the garage doing the compliance test doesn't so usually I reckon about 50% with my vehicles

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Are you saying they fail things that they should not?

A council,compliance test is generally a lot more stringent and yes they will fail things that a mot wouldnt.

id say the other way round, the compliance is a watered down MOT, if we have both together the MOT costs £3

what can you get for £3 these days........

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Must be just here,give me a mot anytime they are a breeze compared to the council/compliance test.

in a previous LA we only HAD a compliance and a certificate of it but no MOT

here we have a "taxi test" and an MOT if needed

the testing station tenders to do the 200-400 taxi tests a year, its long been suspected that the MOT will be a fail to get some work back in to make up for the low price tendered for the tests


hence most wont have an MOT with the taxi test

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

it is a difference of opinion between two MOT testers the human element means that opinions differ we had a right ding dong once between the two with the compliance garage saying something needed replacing and my garage saying it wasn't neccessary my garage won in the end !!!

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

what, fail a car to get some work to make up the shortfall caused by bidding to low to get the tests?....


surely not

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I had the same thing.
Failed at pit test, went to usual mechanic who said nothing was wrong. So went to a MOT garage who also said nothing was wrong, just to make sure went to a main dealer as well and they agreed. Got a letter from all three saying the component had been inspected and was of an acceptable standard, took letters to licensing who said 'doesn't matter, it's the opinion of the tester, until it's repaired we won't issue a pass' !
Council reckoned both front wheel bearings were worn.

Thats why id allways prefer a mot

A valid MOT should be all thats required, and a LO check on stickers/plates/1st aid kit and extinguisher

2 standard full MOT's should satisfy any requirements

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most