Taxi offering illegal rides via Facebook is seized in Doncasterhttps://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/ne ... er-8772116An illegal taxi offering unlicensed rides in Doncaster has been taken off the road after being seized by police.
City of Doncaster Council is now raising awareness about the importance of always using licensed taxi services, after the unlicensed private hire operator was caught offering rides around the city.
When booking a lift, members of the public can be confident that any licensed taxi vehicles will have been inspected, that their drivers have been professionally vetted, and that appropriate vehicle insurance is in place.
Conversely, none of these safeguards can be guaranteed when it comes to unlicensed operators, which pose a real risk to passenger safety.
The council’s dedicated licensing team take proactive steps to crack down on this issue and have recently teamed up with South Yorkshire Police to take one of these vehicles off the road.
The case first came to the attention of officers when they were alerted to a private hire operator taking fares over Facebook.
The owner was promptly contacted and informed that they would need to have an appropriate licence to carry out such services, that their drivers would similarly need to be licensed, and that their vehicles would need to be properly tested by the council and insured too.
Despite this, the company continued to operate illegally, and so the council took prompt action.
Covertly posing as customers, CDC licensing compliance officers contacted the operator in question and made a booking with them to confirm that unlicensed activity was indeed being carried out.
South Yorkshire Police and the council’s licensing team then waited for the driver to arrive at the chosen pickup point.
With the suspect being caught in the act, their vehicle was seized, as it was clear that they were unlicensed, that their car did not have the relevant insurance, and that the operator was not authorised to carry out their private hire business.
Speaking about the case, Councillor Gemma Cobby, Cabinet Member for Regulation and Enforcement, Planning and Safer Communities, said: “Drivers who are unlicensed undermine those who uphold professional standards and adhere to the law.
“They are unvetted, often uninsured, and unsafe. That is why our diligent licensing and compliance teams work hard to keep them off the roads.
“As this recent case shows, we will catch them.
“We have a robust policy that all licensed operators and drivers must abide by to ensure that the public are safe when using their services.
“They are all required to carry an identity badge bearing the council’s logo, and the vehicle must be clearly marked with its licence number and a plate bearing details of the licence.
“So, when booking a ride, please make sure that you use only those that are appropriately licensed. If you have any concerns about a private hire operator or a driver, please report it to us so that appropriate action can be taken.”
For further information about taxi licensing in Doncaster, or to report concerns, please visit the Council website.
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