Taxi Driver Online

This one in Blackburn rears its head every couple of years or so. Suspect it's the age of the vehicles rather than the stringency of the test that's the major factor behind the 72% fail rate


Seven in ten Blackburn and Darwen taxi/private hire tests failed

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n ... ts-failed/

MORE than seven in ten of a borough's taxi and private hire vehicles fail their initial road worthiness test council documents reveal.

And 70 per cent of the cabs in Blackburn with Darwen are at least ten years old.

The figures are revealed in a report by the authority's environment boss Cllr Jim Smith.

It follows a request from Blackburn with Darwen Taxi Forum for review of the testing regime.

It asked for the work to be outsourced to private garages rather than all conducted at the council's Motor Vehicle Service Station at it Davyfield Depot.

Conservative councillor and taxi driver Tiger Patel said: "The Blackburn with Darwen taxi and private hire vehicle testing regime is too strict, too expensive and there are too few testing stations.

"The cost of retesting is one of the highest in the country.

"We want to have five independent testing stations in Blackburn and two in Darwen.

"The council does not want to lose it £750,000 income from testing our vehicles."

Cllr Smith's report decides to keep the current system and single testing station at Davyfield Depot.

It says: "The taxi/private hire trade within Blackburn with Darwen have requested a review of the vehicle safety testing provision within the borough.

"The last review was in 2018.

"The current system requires all vehicles to be tested at the council’s Motor Vehicle Service Station (MVSS). A number of the trade would prefer more options.

"The age profile of the private hire and hackney carriage fleet shows 70 per cent of vehicles are at least 10 years old.


Image: Lancashire Telegraph

"On first presentation to MVSS for testing 72 per cent fail.

"Of the retests carried out the average percentage free of charge is 27.

"The cost of the test at MVSS has not increased since 2015.

"The in-house model ensures good controls in consistency of testing but does not allow for competition.

"Introducing competition may bring about a reduction in the cost of the actual test but this is likely to be eroded by increased costs for tendering, contract monitoring and administration which would be added into the cost of a licence.

"The principal purpose of hackney carriage and private hire licensing is to protect the public and promote public safety.

"Until 10 years ago the council required all private hire vehicles to be less than 10 years old. For hackney carriage vehicles the age limit was 15 years.

"Current data indicates that tests are available within 24 hours.

"Some members feel the testing regime may be over stringent, however a spot check by DVSA in summer 2021 confirmed testing is in line with their requirements."

A further review will take place in 2025.

So the first time pass rate in Blackburn is 28%.

Ours in East Fife is generally around 92%, yet the council makes it sound like we're a dangerous menace

But their comparators are the other Fife zones, where the pass rate is generally 99/100% or so

Either the testing station is too vigorous, or the motors presented are not up to scratch.

Maybe a bit of both.

But with a failure rate as high as it is, and an age profile as old as it is, then the council would, IMO, be neglecting their duty of care to the local public if they changed things.

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IDFIMH

FFS, when will taxi and PH drivers get it into their thick heads that it is not rocket science to get your car checked at a garage BEFORE the test, get it fixed if required and get a pass every time? We do it in the bus industry and the first time pass rate is about 90% Stop the attitude that the test is to find out what it will fail on, spend a few quid which could well save you money and keep your car in better order all year, not just the day after it fails the test.

Have a look at the news items on here, spot checks, items found wrong, usually lights not working, tyres, steering, brakes in that order. I'd suggest it's not the age of the vehicle but the attitude of the owner or driver that causes the car to fail.

We've went up to 95 per cent in the East zone, while another two of the zones are down to 98 and 97 per cent

So we're not being made to look like the black sheep of the Fife zones for a change