Taxi Driver Online

Bristol Airport taxi crackdown: One in four not fit for the road


Spot checks on taxis taking people to Bristol International Airport revealed that one in four vehicles were not fit to be on the road.

Officers from North Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council, Mendip District Council, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), Avon and Somerset police and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) joined forces for a joint. crackdown on taxis at the airport.

Checks were made to ensure vehicles being used by a variety of taxi and unofficial off-site car park operators or transporting passengers to and from the airport, were correctly licensed and in a safe condition.

Investigations were also made to ensure that individuals were not fraudulently claiming benefits while working as taxis drivers.

In total 64 vehicles, including taxis and mini buses, were inspected and 14 prohibition notices were issued by VOSA for vehicles with defects. The defects included worn tyres, defective seat belts and damaged bodywork. These vehicles were stopped from being used for carrying passengers until the defects had been rectified.

The checks also revealed two unlicensed vehicles in use as taxis and two unlicensed taxi drivers.

Legal action is being considered in relation to the unlicensed vehicles and drivers.

Vehicles being operated by nearby off-site car park businesses had a higher rate of defects.

Of the nine vehicles inspected, six received prohibition notices, representing a failure rate of 66 per cent.

The exercise revealed an overall failure rate of 22 per cent of the vehicles inspected in terms of not being roadworthy.

North Somerset Council executive member for licensing Councillor Felicity Baker said: "These worrying figures, along with the presence of unlicensed vehicles and drivers, raises serious concerns in terms of the safety of people using taxis and courtesy vehicles at the airport.

"In view of the results, further vehicle checks will be carried out at the airport to ensure that standards are raised. This is essential to ensure public safety."

source: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/homepage/

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

Good.

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IDFIMH

Easy to say good but we are going to read about this happening more and more. The LAs should take some flack on this, because it is they who are eroding the takings of drivers by giving out too many licenses plus the fact that we are in recession times. This is obviously causing hardship and the drivers (admittedly wrongly) are cutting corners. Where does the "Duty of Care" come in from the councils who employ the LAs?

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

When these sort of checks happen it's usually easy thinks to check that are checked i.e. tyres, tax and bulbs for vehicles, and folks claiming social when they shouldn't be, or folks driving licensed vehicles when they shouldn't be.

Those checks make it easier for licensed drivers by ridding the trade of unlicensed folks and drivers not concerned about the basics. And a good thing too.

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IDFIMH

I agree as to why the checks are done and so they should, but! the point I was making is we are going to hear all around the country more and more of drivers not maintaining their vehicles due to the fact that the LAs have decimated the market/drivers income. We know in an ideal world what should be done, but if it is a toss up as to whether the kids get fed OR do I sort out an iffy tyre.............what do you think is going to happen.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Sort out the iffy tyre before you kill someone it's a no brainer, who will feed your kids when you are dead

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you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

The same people who feed the rest of the single mums kids!

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Grandad,

I take on board what you guys are saying. In my case if something needs doing on the car then it gets done! Having said that there are areas that are struggling big time, and I think that it is fair to say that the LAs should make sure that the income was enough for a driver and his family to live on + one expensive vehicle to maintain.

As it is now they are cajoling prospective drivers into believing that enough money can be made can be made by virtue of the fact that they are still in many cases giving out licenses. Make no mistake if people are forced into a corner then rightly or wrongly the car will come second, and the LAs are only too keen to point the finger instead of acting in a responsible manner i.e "Duty of Care".

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

The only thing LA's are interested in is how much revenue they can collect from the trade regardless of numbers!!.... It is not their concern or responsibility if individual drivers default on their vehicles.... Their only concern is that they police it correctly. It is not the licensing officers that call the shots, it's the councils that employ them and do their bidding.... albeit that some licensing officers are and can be vindictive towards the trade. Any driver worth their salt has to be three steps ahead of them and to make sure you have some sort of legal back up or union/association membership just in case....
As for drivers not making a living, one wonders why they came into the trade in the first place only knowing too well that things would be tough earning any living at all!?
Did they not look into it before starting? Do some "market research"? Ask the cabbies that have been in it for years, whether it was worth doing or not? What was their overall opinion?
Anyone that comes into this trade blind can only be deemed a half wit and can only be completely deluded if they think they will earn "loads of money".
In truth it's only the strongest and fittest survive in this game, (those that have been it for at least 10-15 years or more and established) as it is not what one would call a professional vocation anymore....... that will be even more stark and evident as the Equal Opportunities bill starts to really bite and a free for all of taxi/wavs cowboys will be crowding the streets trying to find rank space as is already happening right across the land.....