Taxi drivers urged to raise their standards
Archived press release
Date Published: 11/09/09
Aylesbury taxi drivers are being urged to raise their standards following a series of spot checks recently.
Officers from Aylesbury Vale District Council, Thames Valley Police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) joined forces in a bid to hunt out unsafe licensed vehicles and drivers in the town.
Checks were made to ensure that vehicles were roadworthy and properly badged, and that the drivers were complying with the terms of their licence.
Out of 11 private hire and hackney carriage vehicles that were checked, ten had their license plates removed and were temporarily prohibited from being used as taxis due to mechanical defects. The majority of the vehicles inspected were taken off the road immediately due to the seriousness of the defects found.
Councillor Judy Brandis, Chairman of Aylesbury Vale District Council’s Licensing Committee, said: “The council has organised and participated in these joint enforcement operations over a number of years now and any failure is always a cause for concern. However this unprecedented high proportion of defective vehicles is seriously disappointing. All licensed vehicles are rigorously tested at least once a year and in the case of older vehicles twice a year.
“Licensed operators and drivers provide a service to the public. They must take more responsibility in ensuring that the vehicles they provide and drive are maintained to the required high standards.
“Proprietors of taxi and private hire businesses need to take into consideration the huge distances that their vehicles cover and cannot rely on the council inspections as their maintenance programme. Daily, weekly and monthly checks need to be in place. The council's licensing services will be investigating further the maintenance systems of the proprietors of the affected businesses and in future may impose further regulatory sanctions.”
Sergeant Chris Simpson from the Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Department said: “We will continue to carry out such spot checks with our colleagues from VOSA and AVDC to ensure the safety of members of the public who use private hire and hackney taxis in the Aylesbury area, and to support the majority of taxi owners and drivers who operate safe and mechanically sound vehicles. The number of vehicles taken off the road for potentially lethal defects was very disappointing, and we will continue to target such cars through the autumn in the run-up towards the Christmas period.”