Four out of ten Bradford cabs fail safety checksFour out of ten cabs in Bradford are failing random vehicle checks, a Bradford Council report has revealed.
The document also highlights that a quarter of taxis and minicabs are not being produced for the tests.
Consequently, the Council is proposing a £50 penalty for drivers who fail to attend.
The proposal is among a range of possible changes to licensing conditions that will be discussed by members of the regulatory and appeals committee on Thursday.
The others include a plan to reduce the minimum age of cab drivers in Bradford from 21 to 18. Drivers must have held a licence for at least one year.
Also proposed are raising the maximum age of a vehicle holding a licence from eight years to ten and scrapping a £79 deposit on licensing plates.
Driver training will also be under the spotlight, with Council officers recommending they go no more than three years without a refresher course on their responsibilities. The meeting will hear a recommendation for a three-yearly driver refresher programme.
Nadeem Ahmed, secretary of the Independent Private Hire Association Bradford, welcomed the proposals regarding the age of vehicles.
He said: “It is a positive step and is something we were campaigning for and supporting. Trade has suffered due to high insurance costs and the price of fuel.”
Mr Ahmed said he believed the £50 fine for missed tests would be “harsh” as vehicles already undergo two tests – licensing department and MOT – each year.
He said he did not want to comment on any of the other proposals until he had studied the details of the report.
The Local Government Association said it welcomed any changes that further promote passenger safety.
source:
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/n ... ty_checks/
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