Shipley and Bingley cabbie licences suspended in blitzIllegal cabbies had their licenses suspended and others were hit with fines following the latest police crackdown in Keighley and the Aire Valley.
A total of 27 taxis were stopped by officers and four drivers – two each in Bingley and Shipley – had their licenses suspended immediately following the blitz.
Their vehicles were found to have dangerous and illegal defects such as bald tyres and faulty lights.
Another seven drivers were given warning notices for minor offences and three others were given fixed-penalty notices.
The operation was carried out over the weekend by Bingley and Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT) with Bradford Council hackney carriage licensing officers on major roads across the area.
Acting Inspector Craig Marshall, of Keighley NPT, warned cabbies breaking the law that they would be taken off the roads.
He said: “The majority of our taxi drivers are perfectly law abiding but through these initiatives we want to send a message to those who do operate outside the law that we are monitoring the roads and will take action against those who operate illegally.”
The joint operation followed on from Operation Northdale, a crackdown over Christmas, when the licenses of six drivers were suspended and fixed-penalty notices were handed out to four drivers – including two for using mobile phones at the wheel.
In that operation, 28 cars were stopped over two nights.
Illegal road users were also targeted in a police crackdown in Bradford last month.
During the first day of the operation – codenamed Northolt – 35 road traffic officers from Bradford South worked alongside partners including the DVLA, taxi enforcement officers, HM Revenue & Customs and VOSA to keep road users in the area safe and legal.
Insp Marshall said similar operations will continue through the year.
He said: “Residents who use taxis have a right to expect a safe service in a vehicle which fully complies with the law and we are doing all we can to ensure that is the case.
“More operations are in the planning stage and anyone who has information about the use of unlawful vehicles in the area is welcome to contact us at the Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team.”
Anyone with information about suspected illegal taxis should contact West Yorkshire Police on the non-emergency number 101.
source:
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/
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