Taxi Driver Online

This is certainly an unfortunate situation for the driver, but not sure what the council can do about it - they can't really pass a car with the indicator light not working, even if it's only the one on the wing mirror.

But headline and some of the article a bit misleading - got the impression from the headline that he'd been revoked, rather than just waiting to pass a retest.


Darlington taxi driver loses livelihood over broken bulb

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/ ... oken-bulb/


Image: Sarah Caldecott/Northern Echo

A DARLINGTON taxi driver has had his licence suspended because an indicator light on his wing mirror is broken.

Alan Grieve has been a taxi driver for 27 years. Taxi drivers in the area must get a mechanical twice a year performed by Darlington Council as well as a MOT once a year.

Mr Grieve said: “They voided [the MOT] even though there was two months left on it because of a light on my indicator, the mirror on the side of the car, nobody looks at that everyone looks at the main light. The repeater in that is not working, so they’ve suspended me indefinitely.

"I’ve been in touch with Mercedes and because of Covid and everything else there’s nothing coming into the country – they don’t know when they can get another one.

"So, they’ve [Darlington Council] basically taken my livelihood away for an indefinite time, all over a silly little bulb. The last time the car was in six months ago they failed me on a tiny number plate light, a tiny little light again, it’s almost like they enjoy doing it, they’re picking on us. That was six months ago. It’s failed the MOT as well as the council’s bi-annual test. After speaking to the council I explained I don’t know when I can get another one and if I can it’s got to be painted because they don’t come colour coordinated now.

"They only come in a matt finish, but nobody knows when they’re going to get this repeater mirror in, it could be months, it could be days, it could be weeks.

"But the council just turned around and said you’re suspended immediately – for a bulb.”

Mr Grieve was not aware the bulb had broken as the car did not alert him on the dashboard.

He said: “I phoned Mercedes and they don’t have one and they can’t locate one in the country, because if Covid and the way things are at the moment everything’s screwed up getting things in and out if the country. My livelihood has gone completely I’ve got no other source of income all over a bulb. How can they take a man’s living away with Christmas round the corner as well?”

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said: “We have to comply with the law and this vehicle was suspended as it failed its MOT because the wing mirror indicator was not working. This has been a legal requirement in the UK since 1986 so would automatically fail an MOT if not working.”

The car failed its latest MoT because of the indicator bulb. Misleading to say they 'voided' a ten-month old MoT.


If that's two tests failed only because of one small bulb each time, then that's certainly unfortunate.

But nothing to say there weren't other failure items.


Happened to me a couple of weeks ago, when realised my front offside indicator wasn't working and it wasn't flagged up on the dash display.

Not sure if the indicator bulbs aren't included in the warning system, but it's always worked with other bulbs.

Anyhow, I doubt if any other motorist really noticed, because of the repeater in the wing mirror still working. But which demonstrates why he's failed the taxi test and MoT - if the other bulb at the front went, there would be no, er, indication that he was indicating.

Anyway, surely he'll be able to source a replacement from elsewhere, like a breaker's yard as a last resort?

But who actually looks at the wing mirror indicator, as opposed to the normal indicator?

I think the council are being knobs, especially in light ( ) of the current supply difficulties.

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IDFIMH

He’s obviously not doing his regular vehicle maintenance checks. I can sympathise with the wait for the new mirror though. He would have been better waiting until he was closer to his test date though before presenting it, in case the mirror turned up in the meantime. Mine has the canbus system which even tells me which bulb is out. I still do weekly checks on all the lights and tyres, there are no excuses for another driver on here having the ply/cord exposed on his tyre either. I can honestly say that none of my vehicles has ever failed an mot with a light or tyre problem, in fact I’d go as far as to say they have never failed a test on anything that could be seen without the help of a ramp or pit.

thats a bit harsh he says in the piece that he has tried to source a replacement but to no avail

I think suing Mercedes for compensation might be in order surely they can post a few bulbs out the pandemic is not a good enough excuse

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Perhaps I am being a bit harsh but he’s moaning they failed him last time on a number plate light bulb, who presents a vehicle for testing with a bulb out ? He doesn’t state how long the mirror indicator has been out for, maybe if he’d checked it as part of his routine maintenance it would have been spotted and ordered and be here by now. It is bad customer service from Mercedes though, I’d be contacting MB HQ at Milton Keynes and explaining the situation to them. They were very good with me when I was getting the runaround off my supplying dealer when I first purchased my Vito.

One of the reasons I stopped buying Vito's was the fact that Milton keynes kept almost zero stock it always had to be on back order and they wouldn't ship anything until 80 to 90 per cent was already sold

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector