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Joint operations in Bristol to crackdown on unlicensed and unroadworthy taxis and private hire vehicle
Two major joint operations to crackdown on unlicensed and unroadworthy taxis and private hire vehicle were held this month. Agencies working together included City Council Licensing Enforcement Officers, British Transport Police, VOSA [former Vehicle Inspectorate], HM Revenue and Customs, HM Border Agency.
The checks held one in the day time at Temple Meads and one at night throughout the city centre were to ensure that:
* drivers and vehicles were properly licensed
* their vehicles were safe and roadworthy and fit for their purpose,
* that drivers had a right to reside and work in the United Kingdom,
* and that duty had been paid on the fuel used by those vehicles.
Sixty vehicles in all were checked during the daytime operation, of which 43 were licensed as hackney carriages by the Council, and 14 private hire vehicles. Of the total the licences of nine taxis or hire cars s were suspended, mainly because of safety related defects, and action was taken against nine taxis and two ordinary cars which were unsafe.
The second operation took place during the night involving officers from Avon and Somerset Police, the Border Agency, and City Council licensing enforcement officers. Checks were also made on a number of street traders, as a result of which one failed asylum seeker, was arrested by officers of the Border Agency pending deportation. Twenty-one vehicles were examined during the second operation, of which three were licensed as hackney carriages and 18 for private hire use. Of that total two vehicles were subject of licence suspension.
Clr Gary Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety said “We were pleased that that in most cases the vehicles examined were in good condition, as no prior announcement of the checks had been made. However, the amount of defects and unlicensed vehicles showed that we must be vigilant to make sure passengers are travelling in safe licensed vehicles. Agencies often work together in this way and invariably the experience for all concerned is a valuable and positive one”.
Of particular interest to the Police and Border Agency was an individual whose immigration and criminal status is being further investigated, after an arrest [not of a taxi driver] during the course of the check, and the detention of one failed asylum seeker during the second check.
“We would like to thank drivers for their patience during the stop checks and assure them that operations like this make the roads of Bristol safer for passengers and other drivers” said Clr Hopkins
Source: Bristol City Council
Posted on: 1st September 2009
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