Taxi Driver Online

The framing here is pretty obvious from the headline.

And only two suspensions out of 108 checked is certainly good by the standards of these things

(And worth recalling that the council here is effectively part of Bristol, and licenses a shedload of cars working in the city.)



Cross-border taxi licensing operation highlights high standards across the region

https://sites.southglos.gov.uk/newsroom ... he-region/

https://sites.southglos.gov.uk/newsroom ... pImage.jpg

Licensing officers from South Gloucestershire Council recently joined police and licensing teams from Bristol, Wolverhampton, Newport and Tewkesbury for a major cross-border compliance operation aimed at ensuring the safety of passengers using licensed taxis and private hire vehicles.

The joint operation took place on the morning of 12 August and focused on vehicles and drivers operating across local authority boundaries.

A total of 108 licensed vehicles and drivers from 26 different licensing authorities were stopped and inspected during the operation. Checks carried out included looking at vehicle condition, licensing documentation and driver compliance with licensing requirements.

The operation resulted in two immediate stop notices being issued, preventing vehicles from continuing to operate until the identified safety concerns are addressed. Several other licensing matters were identified and are being investigated by the relevant licensing authorities.

The checks also produced a positive outcome, with overall compliance rates found to be very high. Officers were particularly encouraged by the good standards of vehicle condition seen throughout the operation.

Councillor John Bradbury, cabinet member responsible for licensing at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “Licensed taxi and private hire drivers play an important role in helping residents and visitors travel safely around our communities. Operations such as this allow the council and the police to work together to ensure that vehicles and drivers meet the standards expected of them and that passenger safety remains a priority. It is particularly pleasing that the vast majority of drivers and vehicles checked were fully compliant, demonstrating the professionalism of the licensed trade across the region.”

Licensing authorities routinely work together to carry out compliance and enforcement activity, helping to maintain public confidence in licensed transport services and ensuring that drivers and operators continue to meet the standards required to protect the travelling public.

For more information on licensing at South Gloucestershire Council visit www.southglos.gov.uk/licensing

That must be the same operation featured in Taxi Point a couple of weeks ago, with the information presumably fed to Taxi Point via the Bristol 'taxi cop' PC Quinton.

And the headline frames it a bit differently

The text is consistent with the above, though, at least as regards the vehicle standards. Although not the drivers and badge thing.

And maybe it's just me, but I find it hard to believe that there were zero lighting defects across 108 cars checked.

And there were from 26 different licensing authorities as well. So presumably there must have been a shedload of cars and drivers who could only be checked to a lower standard

Anyway, this isn't the whole article...


Two taxis suspended as police and multi-authority licensing officers check 108 vehicles at Bristol Airport

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/two-t ... -bristol-a

Two licensed vehicles were immediately suspended during a large taxi and private hire enforcement operation at Bristol Airport.

Officers stopped and checked 108 vehicles licensed by 26 different authorities during the joint operation, according to PC Patrick Quinton, Taxi Cop for Avon and Somerset Police.[...]

PC Patrick Quinton said: “We stopped and checked 108 vehicles from 26 different authorities.

“Good news: great compliance especially for vehicle standards. Not a single lighting issue I’m aware of. Only two immediate suspensions issued, one for tyre, one for bodywork damage, and two tickets for number plate related issues. Everyone who had an eyesight test passed.

“Bad news: the amount of drivers not having a badge with them. As it’s a criminal offence and a safety risk, those drivers were not allowed to drive off until they could prove they were licensed. Reports will be sent to the councils licensing them.”

So they say.

I bet they were gutted no more faults were found.

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IDFIMH

Interesting that Taxi Point has done another piece on what's presumably the same operation.

But it's framed differently, thus as per what I said above about PC Quinton's earlier framing, as portrayed by Taxi Point earlier, and by contrast the rehash below of the latest council press release, which takes a different approach.

This isn't the whole piece (no point if you've read the council press release at the top of the thread). But the passage below on the cross-border thing is interesting - the original Taxi Point piece pointed out that the checks took place at Bristol Airport. Thus the fact that cars from 26 authorities were checked says less about routine cross-border stuff than the fact that it happened at an airport. But the latest Taxi Point piece ignores that vital point


Major cross-border taxi enforcement operation checks 108 vehicles licensed by 26 councils

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/major ... 6-councils

Licensing officers have inspected 108 taxis and private hire vehicles during a major cross-border enforcement operation involving vehicles licensed by 26 different local authorities.

[...]The involvement of vehicles licensed by 26 authorities demonstrates the challenge facing councils attempting to enforce taxi and private hire standards where drivers routinely operate away from the authority that issued their licence.[...]