Archived press release

Date Published: 24/10/07

An enforcement operation to check that taxi and private hire drivers in Aylesbury are not working illegally and putting passengers at risk has been hailed a great success. Operation Safe Journey, a taxi safety initiative created by Aylesbury Vale...

An enforcement operation to check that taxi and private hire drivers in Aylesbury are not working illegally and putting passengers at risk has been hailed a great success.

Operation Safe Journey, a taxi safety initiative created by Aylesbury Vale District Council, has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of drivers illegally plying for hire in the town.

An enforcement team from the council have been working until the early hours most weekends since June to check that red-plated hackney carriages and yellow-plated private hire vehicles pick up passengers who have pre-booked in advance.

Only the white-plated hackney carriages can wait at taxi ranks and be flagged down in the street. Red-plated hackney carriages can be hailed in areas outside of Aylesbury but can only pick up passengers in the town if they have been pre-booked.

Private hire cars (or mini-cabs as they are sometimes called) must be booked by ringing beforehand. Passengers can put themselves at risk by flagging down mini-cabs which have not been pre-booked as the vehicle’s insurance cover will not be valid.

The enforcement team carried out a series of covert test purchase operations to check that taxi and private hire drivers were complying with the conditions of their licence. This involved officers approaching red-plated hackney carriages and yellow-plated private hire vehicles parked in the street and asking the drivers if they were free for a journey.

Out of 12 test purchases only one driver agreed to take an undercover officer to their destination, ignoring the fact that they had not pre-booked in advance. The council is now considering prosecuting the driver for this offence. 

Licensing officers have also been inspecting taxis and private hire vehicles to check that they are clean and roadworthy, that drivers are properly licensed, and that they have the correct plates and door signs displayed. The number of private hire vehicles not displaying door signs has fallen by nearly 50 per cent since the operation began.
 
Officers have been using a handheld device to access taxi and private hire driver records whilst out at night on enforcement duties. This innovative device allows officers to check the driver’s name, address, licence details, photo, vehicle registration number and a host of other important information at the touch of a button.

The device can also be used to take photographs, perform voice recordings and video any activities worth noting. The system is being trialled until December when the district council will review its success. 

AVDC has also been trialling a taxi marshal scheme to direct people to taxi ranks and observe private hire vehicles in known hot spots for illegal plying for hire. Aylesbury’s taxi marshals have helped hundreds of visitors to the town centre get home safely since the scheme began last month.

Launched on 21 September, the scheme provides visitors with a safe and convenient way to get a taxi home after a night out in the town. Two taxi marshals, who operate in Exchange Street (outside Chicago’s) and the Kingsbury area, offer a safe waiting area until a taxi arrives and have a direct link to the police and local venues.

AVDC’s licensing committee gave the go-ahead for officers to increase enforcement activities in Aylesbury at a meeting earlier this year. The decision to take action followed complaints received by the council’s licensing team that some private hire vehicles and red-plated hackney carriages were picking up passengers around the streets of Aylesbury without a prior booking.

Councillor Judy Brandis, Chairman of the Licensing Committee, said: “The council takes enforcement very seriously and our role is to ensure that the trade operates in a safe manner. I’m very pleased to hear that the general feedback from taxi and private hire operators on the operation has been positive and that they welcome the initiative. We will continue to work with our local taxi and private hire companies to ensure a safe service is provided to local residents and visitors to Aylesbury.”

The council is planning to organise a similar taxi enforcement operation over the Christmas period to combat illegal plying for hire and help people get home safely after a night out.

For more information on licensed vehicles in Aylesbury Vale, visit the council’s website at www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk, or call the licensing team on 01296 585150.