Seven taxis were suspended during a North Yorkshire Police operation to check the safety and compliance of taxi services in York.
The operation, carried out over the weekend, was designed to support the high standards of the taxi trade and to protect passenger safety.
On Saturday 2 August, members of North Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Group were deployed alongside Special Constables to check on the safety of taxis in the area.
Working with partners including the City of York Council and the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), taxis in the York area were stopped and checked to ensure licensing was in order, and vehicle safety was of an appropriate standard.
Several vehicles from both North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire were also checked.
Defects identified included faulty rear brakes, worn tyres, bodywork damage, lighting issues, and number plate offences. One vehicle was seized due to expired tax.
The full findings of the operation were:
- 32 vehicles inspected
- 7 vehicles suspended due to significant defects
- 3 vehicles had rectification notices issued for minor defects
- 10 advisory notices issued for minor breaches of licensing conditions
- 1 Traffic Offence Report issued for a defective rear number plate
- 12 vehicles were found to be satisfactory.
TC Dave Ellison from North Yorkshire Police said:
“I’m grateful to the partner agencies who assisted us with this operation.
“Vehicle safety is paramount; people who choose to use and pay for a taxi expect that the vehicle that they are using is safe.
“We used the opportunity to engage with taxi drivers and where appropriate enforce.”
Councillor Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy at City of York Council, said:
“This proactive, multi-agency operation reflects our ongoing commitment to public safety and licensing requirements, on which there cannot be any compromises.
“The agencies carried out inspections on taxis and private hire vehicles licensed in York and elsewhere, to ensure they meet the required standards. The 7 license suspensions and 1 vehicle seizure were all vehicles licensed outside the city.
“It’s good to see there were no significant issues for York licensed cabs but disappointing to see required standards not being met by all operators.
“New requirements put in place last year raise the emphasis on safety and driving standards even higher to help protect all road users including passengers, so operators need to ensure they’re aware and comply with them”.