Taxi Driver Online

Danger taxis taken off Coventry roads in police crackdown

MORE than half of the taxis checked by police during a night-time crackdown in Coventry were found to be defective – including eight which were thought to be so dangerous they were immediately taken off the roads.

Dangerous tyres, insecure disabled ramps, corrosion and defective lights were among the faults found by officers in the city on Friday. The operation, which was prompted by complaints from the public, ran between 6.30pm and 11.30pm. In total 43 taxis – without passengers – were stopped and escorted by police motorcyclists to a testing site in Foleshill Road.

The vehicles were examined by officers from Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to check drivers were adhering to their taxi licences. Drivers were also spoken to by taxi enforcement officers, benefits investigation officers made checks to ensure drivers were only claiming for the benefits they were entitled to and Revenue and Customs officers tested the drivers fuel tanks to ensure they were running on the correct type of fuel.

The taxis tested were licensed by both Coventry City Council and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council and were both private hire cars and black cabs. In total 23 vehicles were found to be defective and eight of those were taken off the roads immediately because the defects were so serious.

The drivers of those eight taxis were made the subject of a Prohibition Notice, meaning they cannot be driven until the defect is corrected and the vehicle undergoes a full MOT to prove it is roadworthy. Seven fixed penalty notices were issued, carrying three penalty points and a £60 fine.

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