Unroadworthy taxis found in York

Poorly-maintained taxis have been taken off the road as part of a joint safety operation.

Fourteen out of 16 taxi and private hire vehicles that were inspected were issued with legal notices. The drivers also had their taxi licence suspended.

Faults included tyres that were so worn the inner cords were exposed, fuel leaks and doors that wouldn’t open.

The defects were so unsafe that immediate prohibition notices were issued on seven of the 16 vehicles, meaning they must not be driven.

Issues with brakes, wheel nuts, exhausts suspension components were also found on a further seven vehicle during the vehicle inspections in York at the weekend. They were issued with delayed prohibition notices, meaning the faults must be fixed and the vehicle re-inspected.

The vehicles were from various local authority areas, including York and West Yorkshire.

They were stopped by police on roads in York and taken to a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) inspection site.

It was part of a joint road safety operation involving North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, the DVSA and licensing enforcement officers from City of York Council and local authorities in West Yorkshire.

Similar operations are planned in the near future.

Traffic Constable Mark Patterson, of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, said: “It’s shocking that seven of the 16 vehicles we checked were so poorly maintained, we had to use immediate prohibition powers to ensure they didn’t go back onto the road.

“Proper vehicle maintenance is always important, especially for professional drivers who the public trust to transport them safely. There is simply no excuse for neglecting this.

“By working with the DVSA and local authorities, we can ensure anyone who doesn’t maintain their vehicle to the correct standard is detected and dealt with robustly.”

6 taxi/private hire vehicles ordered off the road in York following safety checks.

Joint operation ensures taxi passengers’ safety in York

A series of checks on taxis and private hire vehicles in York has been carried out as part of a shared operation to ensure the vehicles are providing a safe service to passengers.

The multi-agency operation ran twice in November and December, and involved officers from taxi licensing partners including City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Over the two operations, a total of 25 private hire vehicles and hackney carriages operating in York were stopped and checked. Vehicles licensed by York, Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield were inspected.

All vehicles underwent full mechanical examinations for defects by the DVSA at the council’s MOT test centre at Hazel Court or at the roadside, to check they were driving were safe to carry customers on the roads. Checks were also made to ensure that the drivers were properly licensed and insured.

As a result, six vehicles were ordered off the road by the DVSA and had their licences suspended. Four of the six suspended taxis and private hire vehicles were licensed by City of York, three of which were suspended for a period of 4 – 8 days, with one vehicle still off the road.

The vehicles were suspended due to the following faults:

  • defective tyres
  • tyres fitted to the front axle of different sizes and no operable spare
  • defective or inoperative headlights
  • an illuminated engine warning light
  • defective coil springs.

A further twelve drivers were advised to repair minor vehicle defects and several others were also warned by enforcement officers about breaches of licensing conditions.

Anyone with concerns about the conduct of drivers or the condition of their vehicles should email public.protection@york.gov.uk so the council’s public protection team can investigate.
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