Taxi Driver Online

I'm surprised these faults weren't laid at the door of Berwick considering alomost everything else is.

I seem to recall certain criticism of Berwick vehicles being of a lower standard which included broken taxi signs etc but it appears Gateshead suffers from the same problem but using non-compliant taxi meters, how could that occur? Lack of enforcement obviously.
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Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, UK)

November 12, 2008 Wednesday

ONE in three taxis were found to have faults in random spot checks made on Tyneside.

A total of 152 taxis and private hire vehicles were stopped and checked in Gateshead with faults discovered in a staggering 58 of them.

The operation revealed a variety of faults including mechanical defects or other problems.

In total, 38 were found to have serious mechanical faults, including dangerously bald tyres, insecure doors and damaged brake cylinders.

In addition, 15 vehicles were found to be in breach of their licensing conditions, including having broken taxi signs and using non-compliant taxi meters.

Two drivers were found to be in breach of their requirement to display their council issued badge.

Faulty vehicles were barred from the road until repairs had been carried out.

Gateshead Council decided to crack down on unsafe licensed vehicles operating in the borough in a bid to make them the safest in the North East.

Officers from the council, Northumbria Police, and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) carried out the checks over two weekends in October with worrying results.

"Public safety is the primary concern of Gateshead Council and that is why we carry out these multi-agency enforcement exercises on a regular basis," said Coun Kevin Dodds, chairman of Gateshead's licensing committee.

"The results of these enforcement exercises are a cause for concern."

A number of drivers and proprietors were slapped with suspension notices which prevented them from using their vehicles until the faults had been tackled.

Coun Dodds said: "During the run-up to Christmas, when it is hoped many more people will be making use of taxis and private hire vehicles, it is more important than ever that the public are able to feel confident the vehicles they are travelling in are safe and roadworthy.

"This operation has shown that some licensees are not carrying out regular basic routine checks on their vehicles and are ignoring the conditions attached to their licences."

Paul Harper, from Gateshead Hackney Drivers Association, said the group welcomes the regular checking.

"It is of utmost importance that our passengers are carried in a safe vehicle at all times," he said.

"All Hackney Carriages are MOT'd twice per year in Gateshead, but obviously faults can appear in between these checks, as they can in any vehicle."
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Not surprisingly if we go back to the future by nearly ten years the same newspaper has a near identical headline but this time in reswpect of the standards of Newcastle?

Isn't this the same authority that denounced the standards of Berwick? Berwick weren't an issue ten years ago so what excuse do Newcastle have for their lack of standards both then and now? I say now because there is no evidence that Newcastles standards have improved since 1999. Hackney carriages came out better than private but the article doesn't actually say what percentage of hacks were stopped?
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EVENING CHRONICLE (Newcastle, UK)

April 13, 1999, Tuesday Edition 1

City cab tests find almost a third unsafe - Taxi leader blames safety cutbacks on too many vehicles fighting for too little trade

NEARLY one in three taxis stopped during spot checks in Newcastle shouldn't have been on the road.

The unsafe vehicles' licences were suspended immediately after potentially deadly faults, including defective brakes, steering, tyres and lights, were uncovered.

The majority were private hire taxis and most are now back on the road after the faults were put right.

The operation was carried out over two days in Newcastle by Northumbria Police, Department of Transport inspectors, city council licensing enforcement officers, and Cityworks staff.

They checked 140 taxis and found 43 had defects - 31 private hire taxis and 12 Hackney cabs.

Legal action is being taken against two private hire drivers who were operating without a licence or insurance. Police issued several tickets for defective tyres.

Details are revealed in a report to councillors by Tim Hibbert, head of public health and environmental protection at Newcastle City Council.

Mr Hibbert says it is clear that some people in the taxi trade do not invest in preventative maintenance.

"Some drivers and proprietors only react to major defects and clearly fail to carry out simple daily or weekly checks on items such as tyres and lights.

"More disturbingly, major defects like defective handbrakes and broken suspension components must be noticeable to the driver and yet still go unrepaired.

"On the whole, the trade accepts the need for exercises of this nature. No-one can deny that the safety of the public is paramount and if defects are found they need to be rectified before that car is allowed back on the road.

"Those who do invest in the maintenance of their vehicle and carry out daily checks on the condition of lights, tyres etc, have nothing to fear from operations of this nature."

Coun Norman Povey, chairman of the public health and environmental protection committee, said: "It's very worrying. While the majority of the taxi trade keep their cars in good condition the percentage found to be unroadworthy was very high which is bound to shake people's confidence.

"Our job is to make sure members of the public are safe and we will be keeping a close watch on the situation."

Newcastle has 675 licensed Hackney cabs and 830 private hire vehicles.

Problem

Jimmy Blake, chairman of the Newcastle Hackney Drivers' Association, called for an end to deregulation to solve the problem.

He said the decision to lift the ceiling on taxi numbers has led to the streets being flooded with taxis and earnings plunging.

"We don't condone people breaking the law but when they can't make a living they will skip servicing," he said.

"It's time the council reviewed this policy. There was a judicial review two years ago when a judge supported the council's policy as long as it was not detrimental to the public. Surely, this proves the policy is detrimental to the public."
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EVENING CHRONICLE (Newcastle, UK)

March 24, 1999, Wednesday Edition 1

Taxis seized

POLICE have seized 12 taxis in a two-day crackdown. The owners of 150 hackney carriages and private hire cars in Co Durham were ordered to take their taxis for inspection at a council garage where police impounded 12 suspected of being stolen or having stolen parts fitted. They also found 22 had defects.
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Back to the future again, I wonder if these two enforcement officers are still around? However it would appear all they ever checked were badges, plates and signage. Is that what Newcastle meant when they told Judge Symonds that they have no enforcement powers over these vehicles? Oddly enough the police do but choose not bother.
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EVENING CHRONICLE (Newcastle, UK)

December 26, 1998, Saturday Edition 1

On the streets to make sure the licence laws are upheld -;
Enforcement officers' city centre beat on the look-out for law breakers

IT is 9.15pm in Newcastle's Bigg Market on one of the busiest nights of the year.

Licensing enforcement officers Ronnie and Brian are out on the streets in search of illegal activity.

In their sights are all kinds of licensing rogues - from violent bouncers, to dodgy street traders and bogus taxi drivers.

Wrapped up well against the December chill, they are distinct among the thousands of scantily dressed young revellers.

Both are ex-Northumbria police officers with years of experience in the force behind them and they execute their duty with a tried and tested good humoured banter.

Brian, 41, a dad of three, said: "We deal with all kinds of licensing matters from doormen, taxis, sex shops, to noise complaints.

"Its not a dangerous job but it's like everything else when you are dealing with the public, you have to go about things in the right way."

The pals, who have worked in licensing for five years, are now on first name terms with many drivers.

Ronnie, 42, also a dad of three, said: "The majority of them are very nice. They are just trying to make an honest living."

With 600 licensed hackney carriages and over 800 private hire vehicles, Newcastle has the largest fleet of cars between Edinburgh and Leeds. The extra revenue from a doubling of the Hackney carriage fleet in the last three years has been ploughed back into enforcement and with six full-time enforcement officers, the city has the largest enforcement team in the North East.

The night's work begins with a quick walk round the city centre before Ronnie and Brian move in on a rank in the Bigg Market.

They go down a queue of 20 Hackney carriages, checking licence plates, driver's badges and door crests to make sure they are not false. The convoy is given a clean bill of health. After a quick check on doormen at a pub, next stop are three ranks on the Quayside.

Driver Rob Hanlon of Newcastle said: "They [the enforcers] should be out every night pulling people up. There are too many illegal drivers. The public don't know the risks. They see a car and jump in."

Another taxi driver told how a lone woman passenger he picked up from a singles club fell asleep on his back seat. Eventually he had to take her to a police station.

Another driver, Ray Short said: "We often get checked by licensing officers. It's got to be a good thing if it keeps the pirates out."

After further checks on doormen and a tour of the night clubs it's back to the Bigg Market for 11.15pm as revellers begin piling out of the pubs in search of that all important taxi home. A queue has already formed at one taxi rank but there's not a Hackney carriage in sight.

Instead the area is filling up with private hire vehicles. It is illegal for these drivers to pick up those who are trying to flag them down unless they are pre-booked.

Ronnie said: "These private hire cars will be pre-booked. Sometimes if a driver comes down here and his customer is not here he may be tempted to pick up anybody. It's illegal. Only Hackney carriages or black taxis are allowed to pick up off the street.''

Six private hire vehicles suspected of picking up off the street have their numbers noted. The officers will later approach their offices and check with their log book if the customer was pre-booked. If not, the driver will be charged with plying for hire and if found guilty will probably be fined and have his licence endorsed.
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I blame deregulation

CC

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

I blame p*** poor enforcement.

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IDFIMH