Taxi drivers found to be putting profits before safety

More than a third of taxis stopped by police in Hitchin and

Letchworth last weekend had defects that breached their licensing conditions.

The proactive checks were carried out by the Road Policing

Unit between 10pm and 12am on Friday 28th January, in and around both town

centres.

Thirty one taxis were checked in total – of these, thirteen

had committed breaches of their licensing conditions.

Two of the taxis had their North Herts licences suspended –

both were not carrying the required fire extinguisher. One had a defective tyre

and the other a defective brake light respectively.

Five of the drivers were given advice because their vehicles

had tyres that were just on the legal limit of the amount of tread they had –

they were told to get the tyres changed as soon as possible.

Two others taxis had a defect on a light and expired fire

extinguisher respectively. Both were given warnings to get them fixed.

A further two drivers were warned for not having their

badges displayed in a prominent position.

Two other drivers, licensed by other authorities, were also

stopped. One, from Luton, had a defective tyre and the driver was given three

penalty points on his licence and a £60 fine.

A taxi from Stevenage also didn’t have a fire extinguisher

on board so his licence was also suspended.

One Hitchin resident, Sarah, who regularly uses taxis at the weekend commented on the findings saying "I think it is astonishing that so many out of a small number checked had either illegal or barely legal tyres. It makes you think they are more interested in their profits than ensuring the safety of their passengers.

"It is certainly going to make me look more closely at the condition of any taxi I use in the future"   

Police Sergeant Neil Emmerson said: “These drivers make a living out of carrying members of the public in their vehicles. It’s crucial that these drivers regularly check their vehicles over and ensure they are compliant with their licensing conditions and that they are safe for the public to be carried in.

“We will be carrying out further checks in North Herts and

other areas in the near future.”

Cllr Bernard Lovewell, North Herts District Council

Portfolio Holder for Housing and Environmental Health said: “We welcome these

proactive checks by the police, as combined with regular enforcement activity

from NHDC officers, this helps to ensure that standards are maintained and

residents are kept safe.”