Dodgy Taxis Driven Off The Roads In Newcastle
Aug 17 2009
Cowboy cabbies caught putting lives at risk have been driven off our roads.
Council enforcement officers teamed up with police to stage an operation in Newcastle city centre.
More than 80 taxis were checked over the weekend.
Four were immediately suspended after serious defects were discovered.
They included split drive shafts, bald tyres and faulty brake pads.
Inspectors also issued 11 drivers with non-compliance notices after their vehicles were found to have minor defects. They have five days to bring their cars up to standard or face bans.
And police handed out warning notices to three cabbies driving unsafely during the operation.
A further 22 drivers were hit with notices requiring them to provide proof of insurance arrangements to the council.
Two more cars were dealt with under the Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme, which orders them to be mended within 14 days and presented to a police station. One fixed penalty notice was given out for defective tyres.
Overall, 82 vehicles were stopped. Of those, 53 were Newcastle Hackney Carriages, six were registered to Berwick council and 23 were private hires, from Gateshead, North Tyneside and Tynedale.
Stephen Savage, Newcastle City Council director of regulatory services and public protection, said: “Vehicles licensed by Newcastle City Council undergo stringent checks. The majority are in excellent condition and operations like this are designed to ensure those standards are maintained.
“It was however disappointing to find faults on vehicles, particularly those currently licensed by Berwick Council. Both private hire and Hackney Carriage vehicles were found with dangerously defective tyres, poor lighting and worn brake pads.
“It is clear that a small number of drivers are failing to make the most elementary safety checks.
“The city council in partnership with the trade in the city are committed to ensuring the high standards of it’s fleet are maintained and we would advise the public when in the city to use cars which are licensed by Newcastle City Council.”
City centre beat manager PC Zoe Hingston is assigned to working with the taxi trade and stages regular meetings with drivers to address their concerns, as well as cracking down on those who break the law.
She said: “The operation was successful. We joined forces with the city council to stop and check taxis to ensure they were complying with safety laws.
“Those found to be flouting the law were dealt with appropriately, including vehicles being seized, notices issued for road safety offences, taxi licences suspended or vehicles sent for safety checks.”
Source; ChronicleLive.co.uk
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