Taxi Driver Online

Worcester taxis to be tested every six months after safety concerns

A CRACKDOWN on shoddy taxis is being launched in Worcester - with vehicles ordered to do tests every six months after serious safety concerns.

An investigation found nearly 170 cabbies failed key 'compliance tests' during just 12 months with faulty brake pads, illegal tyres, defective lights and expired MOTs among a catalogue of issues.

That outcome led to a group of councillors launching talks about how to tackle the poor standard of many vehicles - a process which has now wrapped up.

The Worcester News can reveal how every single hackney carriage and private hire driver will be asked to report to an independent testing centre in Blackpole every six months for the tests.

Depending on the problem those who fail face being removed from the road - with taxi drivers admitting the measure is fair.

Until now the cabbies only had to do the compliance tests once a year, despite some vehicles doing a staggering 100,000 miles per annum.

Even parliament has decided that councils, which rule over taxis, can ask drivers to surrender their vehicles three times a year without fear of legal action.

Councillor Paul Denham, vice-chairman of the city's licensing committee, said: "The first duty we have on the licensing committee is to protect the travelling public.

"I'm sure the vast majority of the trade agree with that, and the vast majority are good drivers - but this will deter those who try it on.

"It will drive up safety standards of the whole fleet- some vehicles do more than 100,000 miles a year, it's not unreasonable to ask them to do a test every 50,000 miles."

The Mayor of Worcester Councillor Roger Knight said: "I'm absolutely in favour of this, it's something I've been campaigning about for a number of years."

The move will be sent out for 12 weeks of consultation before it is finalised but has been welcomed by cabbies, who will each pay £25 extra for it.

The compliance tests go above and beyond MOTs and delve into considerable detail, even checking things like the condition of the seats.

Lesley Borthwick, from Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, said: "It all boils down to the safety of passengers as well as our safety.

"If I'm driving a defective vehicle it could cause an accident - there is an extra cost to the trade but it's got to be done."

The 12-month period up to the end of July this year saw 389 taxi drivers do the tests and 44 per cent, 169 of them, failed.

The reasons also included dents, ripped seats, dirty cabs and 'for hire' signs not being lit up, meaning the failure reasons can vary.

source: http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/NEWS/14146262.display/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

we get tested every 6 months anyway & have done for years, i thought it was the norm

Nope.

In most areas it's one a year.

But don't ask the captain how many a year he does.

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IDFIMH

we've always had 6 monthly and our MOt (compliance) certificates also are for only 6 months

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

our certificates are for the year, but we get a 6 monthly at the council, that's why the cost of a new ph plate here is £302 ( for a vehicle over 4 years old & covers 2 tests & if it fails its 6 monthly, well that's another £38 ),
like i said im after a hack now so i will be after one over 4 years old so that will be £327, the council are nothing more than robbing fookers , cant understand how they get away with it tbh, 5 miles down the road its £226, are there cars safer or something ??? should be the same county wide imho, a hack is a hack & a ph is a ph