Taxi Driver Online

Halifax Courier

April 2, 2008

Cabbies' 'cut our tests' bid is rejected

TAXI drivers have failed in their bid to have their vehicles tested less often.

Members of Calderdale Council's licensing panel rejected plans to cut the number of taxi tests, despite cabbies' claims that the fees were "crippling".

Drivers had asked the council to cut the number of tests for cars more than six years old from three a year to two.

Representing taxi firms across the district at the meeting, Sultan Hussain from Elland Cars said: "As far as safety is concerned, you can test us 12 times a year. We do not have a problem with that because safety is our number one priority.

"But every time a car fails this is a new fee for a re-test.

"You can test us every two months but the fees are crippling us."

Council officers said if taxis failed their test for matters that are considered minor, they could be re-tested for free.

Councillor Mohammed Najib (Lab, Park) asked if the council could reduce the fee but was told the panel would not have the power.

Councillor Bryan Smith (Lab, Ovenden) said when the council tried reducing the number of tests to every six months, the number of taxis failing increased from 15 per cent to 42.5 per cent.

The panel voted to keep taxi tests at every four months for vehicles more than six years old.

As reported by the Courier, a report by the council's licensing services manager Sarah Richardson showed that during 2007 a third of the 1,277 tests carried out on licensed taxis and hackney carriages resulted in failure.

The council's transport manager Paul Topham had described relaxing the rules as "retrograde".

He believed such a move could risk the safety of both passengers and other road users.
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Game set and match really.

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IDFIMH

Perhaps councils should follow the same line as VOSA take against truck companies regarding vehicle tests, if you cant get a vehicle through a test first time it puts a black mark against your operators licence. to many black marks against you, they will take your licence off you. by the way trucks have to be inspected every 6 weeks. so no excuse for failiure.
That approach would see operators who maintain there vehicles properly could go twice a year, and the ones that dont would have to be tested more, until there maintance record improves.

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now a licensed hackney driver

I think some do.

I know mine want to see the pass/failure sheets, and if there are loads of crosses from the first check, then the vehicle is often required to return within months for further checks.

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IDFIMH