Taxi drivers angry as council rejects inspection complaintTAXI drivers in Derby claim over-zealous inspectors are losing them business by taking cars off the road for minor issues such as damage to their paintwork.
But the city council has rejected the claims, angering the drivers and taxi unions.
Cabs are inspected routinely but can also be subjected to spot checks by the council and police.
Taxi drivers say the inspectors sometimes order the cars off the road for repairs which are not necessary.
They raised the issue as a common complaint at Derby City Council's taxi licensing committee, which ordered an investigation. The subsequent report concludes the allegations are unfounded.
But Javed Khan, of the Derby Area Operators Association, said: "The officers stop the cars and take them off the road for little bits which wouldn't be of any danger or risk to the public, things like paintwork being damaged.
"As soon as they do that, the car has to go to the garage so drivers are losing money.
"I've known some drivers go to a licensed testing station and get their car examined only to drive out, be stopped by an officer and told the car is not fit. How can that be right?"
The council's response was that it did not intervene at the approved testing stations, which carry out examinations on its behalf.
Other complaints raised were that standards were different across the testing stations in Derby.
The report by council officers states: "Suggestions that licences are suspended for minor defects are not supported by the evidence."
Out of a fleet of about 1,160 taxis, 218 were tested at the roadside over a six-month period this year, with 63 found to be unfit and having their licences suspended. Of the 63, 17 were inspected jointly with the police or the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.
Councillor Paul Pegg, one of the taxi licensing committee's vice-chairmen, said he had confidence in the evidence in the report.
"We have a duty of care to the public as far as I'm concerned and the officers have got a job to do," he said.
"This allegation of being over-zealous comes up all the time but I don't believe there is anything untoward and I think the officers are protecting the public."
Mr Pegg said other councils, such as Liverpool and Chester, were far more "ruthless" in their inspections.
The report concludes: "Derby is no more prescriptive or zealous than our benchmarking partners and in some cases is significantly less so."
It will be considered at tonight's taxi licensing committee meeting, which will follow the 6pm general licensing committee meeting at Saxon House.
Mr Khan said he expected several drivers to be there to express their concerns.
source:
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Taxi- ... story.html
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