Taxi seized from cabbie driving round Chester two months after licence was revoked Driver was pulled over as part of an operation by Cheshire Police
Nine private hire vehicles and five Hackney Carriages were issued with defect notices by council licensing officers
A taxi driver had his cab seized by police who discovered he had been driving around Chester – two months after his licence was revoked.
The driver was pulled over as part of a special operation which saw officers stop 54 private hire vehicles and black cabs in the city centre in a clampdown on safety.
One taxi driver had their licence suspended after officers, from Chester Inner Neighbourhood Policing Unit, discovered an abnormality with the meter on a Hackney Carriage car.
And police seized one cabbie’s car and fined the driver after discovering his licence had been revoked in August this year.
Nine private hire vehicles and five Hackney Carriages were issued with defect notices by council licensing officers, who accompanied police during the three night operation in the run up to Christmas.
These defect notices were handed out for less serious issues, including having a bulb out, and give the operator the opportunity to rectify the issue to prevent any further action being taken, Sgt Andy Burrage explained.
Operation Mitaka saw officers pull taxis off the road for around 10 minutes while they carried out checks, and officers said many passengers were pleased to see the checks were being done.
“In the majority of stops that we carried out, the taxis were found to be fully serviceable and roadworthy and suitable for the carriage of passengers. In most cases, the drivers fully understood the reasons for the stop which only kept them off the road for around 10 minutes whilst the checks were carried out,” said Sgt Burrage.
“It is important that the public are reassured that such checks are carried out on our taxis so that they can be confident when they are using them that they, and the vehicle they are travelling in, are safe.
“Many of the passengers we spoke to were pleased to see the checks being carried out too. I would reiterate to those coming into the city to socialise in the evening that they prebook taxis, or, if hailing one in the street ensure that it is displaying a CWAC plate on the vehicle and the driver is wearing his or her identification card.
“The success of the operation means that it will likely be repeated to ensure the standards are maintained throughout the year.”
source:
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/ ... nd-8443681
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