Taxi Driver Online

Clampdown on Hire Firms

31st July 2008

Serious breaches in the way some private hire vehicle operators in Fenland have been delivering their home to school contracts have prompted Fenland Council to step up its audits of all 28 operators in the district.

As a result of these breaches the council has decided to take a very close look at all operators providing every kind of private hire service to ensure they are complying with the requirements of the law and of their licences.

Licensing officers will be conducting a thorough audit of all operators, going through their records for the last six months with a fine tooth comb.

They will be looking to ensure that each operator keeps up-to-date records of all licensed drivers and vehicles to see that all vehicles are taxed and insured, that only named drivers with current licences issued by Fenland are used.

The audits will also be looking at whether the address of each operator premises and their list of drivers matches those supplied to the council by each operator under the terms of their licence conditions. Officers will also be looking at whether those premises require planning permission and are therefore subject to business rates.

The audit also includes checking public liability insurances, company registration certificates, health and safety policies, fire safety and, where applicable, ensuring that DTI radio licenses are in place and that operators and drivers have been trained in radio procedures.

Coun. Ken Mayor, Fenland's portfolio holder with responsibility for enforcement, said: "Over the next six weeks we will be going through the records of private hire operators to ensure they are complying with the letter and the spirit of their licences. We will not tolerate any breaches in licensing conditions.

"We are conducting these audits during the summer holidays so that any company with a contract to transport children to and from school who is found to be in breach of their licence can get their house in order before term starts in September.

"It also means that if any such operator has their licence revoked, there is time for another contractor to be put in place."

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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Shouldn't they have been doing that for the last 32 years?

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IDFIMH

They've probably got a new LO who wants to make a name for himself.

And, as soon as he has made that name for himself, he will be the same as all the other LOs around the country & join there club.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

hes done that then.....and i think i know how to spell it

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most