Taxi Driver Online

Well this is slightly odd.

A cross-border enforcement operation, but with no mention of you-know-where

Recall that Uber got a licence in Darlington a few months ago, but can't recall anything out of the ordinary about that, but no-doubt they could be using some of the cross-border cars mentioned here.

But it's local Darlington LOs and Newcastle LOs conducting the operation, so someone obviously using cross-border Newcastle cars, Wolverhampton-style, because there are a couple of other council areas between Darlington and Newcastle

But I wonder how they were able to check signage and the like on the Stockton and Middlesborough-plated cars? Enforcement protocol? That's certainly not stated here

Nothing much found in the grand scheme of things, though, and mostly small beer.


Taxi inspections address online concerns

https://www.darlington.gov.uk/news/taxi ... e-concerns

In recent months concerns have been shared online around the number of out-of-town private hire vehicles operating in Darlington and the potential risks to members of the public.

Over the bank holiday weekend our licencing officers, together with colleagues from Newcastle City Council, inspected 43 vehicles operating in the town to check that those working across borders were compliant with national legislation intended to ensure the safety of the public. Vehicles were also checked to ensure they displayed the appropriate signage.

Of those vehicles inspected 11 were from Newcastle, eight were from Stockton and five were licenced in Middlesbrough. Two were licenced with authorities further afield. All checked vehicles possessed the required licences to allow them to collect fares in Darlington, however some minor breaches were identified. These did not compromise the public safety threshold and included issues with incorrect signage. Officers from Newcastle issued five warning notices to drivers. One driver and vehicle was also reported to Middlesbrough Council for a breach in compliance and another to Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council due to minor damage to bodywork on the vehicle.

Seventeen vehicles licenced by Darlington Borough Council were also checked to ensure compliance with the council’s taxi policy, six of which were issued with warnings for minor breaches of compliance which included out-of-date first aid kits.

The joint operation, which focused on vehicles collecting passengers from Darlington Station, is the first of a series of inspections which will take place over the coming year.

Chris Knox, head of community safety, said: "All private hire drivers and vehicles, regardless of which company they work for, or which local authority area they are from, require a licence. To get this, certain safety standards set out by the government must be followed. These include all drivers being required to have an enhanced Disclosure And Barring Service (DBS) check when they first apply for their licence or renew it. Different councils may also have additional local requirements for those registered in their area.

“While some minor issues were flagged and dealt with, this weekend’s inspections were reassuring and confirmed that all vehicles and drivers checked met the safety thresholds required by law.”

Cllr Jim Garner, cabinet member for stronger communities, added:" We are committed to ensuring local residents and communities are well connected and that they have access to safe, secure and reliable transport links. We have robust policies and procedures in place to ensure that those travelling in Hackey carriages or private hire vehicles can be confident in their safety, and operations like this are a great example of how we work with our partners from other licencing authorities to address concerns and make sure everyone is operating inside the law.”

Cllr Dan Greenhough, cabinet member for economy, jobs and skills at Newcastle City Council, added: “Cross border taxi hire is an issue that affects all local authorities and we are very pleased to support this joint enforcement work alongside our neighbouring councils.

“This partnership approach allows us to confirm that consistent standards are applied across the region as well as ensuring the safety of the travelling public.”


You can report concerns about the safety of taxis or private vehicles operating in Darlington, to the licencing team at Darlington Borough Council via email. licensing@darlington.gov.uk or tel. 01325 405888.

So even if a Wolves car was checked, the plural 'authorities' indicates that both the cars couldn't have been Wolves-plated