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Taxi drivers targeted in checks
Published date: 03 February 2011 | Published by: By Staff reporter
A CRACKDOWN on taxi drivers who flout the laws of the road has taken place in Chester.
Operation Gold which focused on both licensed private hire and hackney carriage vehicles involved Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire Police, the Vehicle and Operator Services agency (VOSA) and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs Road Fuel Testing Unit.
During the operation 53 vehicles were inspected to make sure that they were not using red diesel which is used for agricultural purposes.
As a result of the operation all were found to be compliant and using fuel with the correct duty paid on it.
However 14 of the 28 vehicles inspected for their road worthiness and compliance of their vehicle licence conditions were found with defects. Eight of were found to have serious enough defects to be issued with prohibition notices by the VOSA officers that require the licence holder to immediately rectify the problems.
Council officials said passenger disruption was "kept to a minimum" by targeting vehicles that were at the end of a journey or empty.
Councillor Lynn Riley, executive member for community and environment, said: “Operation Gold is extremely important because it reassures the public that in the licensing system there are random, unannounced safety checks as well as routine inspections.”
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