MORE than 60 per cent of taxis and minicabs inspected in a survey had defects – including one that had three bald tyres.
Newly-published figures for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s licensing committee showed 34 of 54 vehicles tested breached their licence.
Five of those vehicles also breached vehicle operator service agency standards, including two with steering issues, two with one worn tyre and the car with three bald tyres, of which two were “worn to the bare metal in places,” according to council documents.
The three with tyre problems were immediately ordered off the road, while the two with steering problems had to undergo MoT tests within 10 days. The worst cases were all in private hire vehicles.
Six hackney carriages – the London-style taxis that can be flagged down or caught at ranks – were found to have issues, but only for minor breaches of licensing conditions, such as failing to display no smoking stickers.
Councillor Robert Taylor said he was dismayed at the number of issues, and added: “I thought that was both staggering and scary.
“If the main purpose of this body is to protect the public then that is an astonishing breach across a range of users.” Cllr Taylor asked what was being done to address the problem. Councillors heard previous enforcement checks had not been as bad, but problems had built up because there had been less engagement with drivers.
Licensing manager Linda Cannon said: “We were short of staff and we hadn’t been out doing what we should – being face-to-face with the licence trade.”
But she added changes had been made and licensees could expect to see council licensing officers more frequently.
* A 55-year-old man from Basingstoke has been summoned to appear before Aldershot magistrates on April 12 for using a motor vehicle or trailer with the tyre with any ply exposed.
source:
http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/
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