Taxi Driver Online

Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph

November 7, 2007 Wednesday

Taxis ordered offroad over defects

Two taxis were ordered off the road for safety defects after a stop-and-search operation.

Humberside Police and officers from North Lincolnshire Council Neighbourhood and Licensing team pulled over a number of randomly chosen vehicles.

Eight taxis were taken to a local garage after officers decided they needed to be looked at more closely.

As a result, two taxis were ordered off the road; one for defects with its suspension and brakes and the other for defective brakes and inoperable seatbelts.

Two more had minor faults with "oil levels", side lights and gear box. Four other taxis were checked over and had no faults.

Council licensing manager Nick Bramhill said the council worked with police to randomly stop and search taxis every three to six months.

He said: "Council officers are checking to make sure the taxis are safe for members of the public to be travelling in.

"We try to do a check during the day in the week, but other checks have to be done on a Friday and Saturday night as that is when the vehicles are out working - we know it is a busy time for them but we cannot check them if they are not on the road."

North Lincolnshire Taxi Association declined to comment and individual taxi drivers remained tight-lipped.

But one driver, who did not want to be identified, said he agreed with the safety checks.

He said: "Doing checks on a Saturday night is okay. It's about the only night they will be able to get anything done as that's when all the drivers are out on the roads.

"I don't mind it at all and I have been pulled over before. If there is nothing wrong with your vehicle there is nothing to worry about."

A Humberside Police spokeswoman said police officers had assisted the council in pulling over vehicles. She said: "It is extremely important, especially during the dark winter months, that vehicles on the road are safe.

"We are happy to work with the council to make sure taxis in Scunthorpe are safe."
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IDFIMH

This reminds me of a time about seven years ago when the police used to have purges on taxis and would direct us into a desegnated spot.

After checking my lights tyres etc,he decided to shine his torch down the windscreen washer filler on my ford mondeo .

He then came to me and said he could not see any water in the bottle,so i pressed the wiper button and he did not seem to pleased when the water came squirting out

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=z07K29Fc15U

what a load of B*llocks, oil levels/gearbox, whats that got to do with it, on most modern cars there is no dipstick for engine or transmission oil check