Taxi Driver Online

Unregulated Out-of-Area Private Hire Vehicles:

The trade continues to raise concerns about of out-of-area private hire vehicles
operating within the borough.

Officer Response: This matter has been raised and has been responded to on
several previous occasions. Officers are only permitted to undertake enforcement
activity where these drivers are breaking the law as they are permitted to operate in
Bracknell Forest. Enforcement action can only be taken where there is evidence to
support the prosecution. Officers are currently prosecuting such a driver for operating
without a licence who was seen by a Council employee. Officers continue to
undertake enforcement exercises to observe these behaviours.

Officers also welcome reports from members of the trade however, the only option to
deal with any illegal drivers is through prosecution for Plying for Hire which then
invalidates their vehicle insurance and therefore they can be prosecuted for no
insurance. The stumbling block for officers with regards to this is that the trade
member who has witnessed this and who possibly takes photographic evidence
becomes the Council’s main witness and will therefore be required to provide a
statement detailing what they have seen and then appear in court in support of the
Council.

Unfortunately, when these reports are received and the member of the trade is asked
to provide a statement and support the Council in its efforts to prosecute the driver
concerned, the trade is reluctant to assist meaning that no action can be taken.
Officers will of course pass the details onto the relevant local authority for which they
are licensed if this can be determined but have no jurisdiction on what if any action
the relevant local authority takes.

Officers continue to undertake enforcement exercises to observe these behaviours

(Until recently I thought 'compliance' and 'enforcement' basically means the same thing. But, at least according to Wolves, compliance is the inspections and checking etc, while enforcement is suspensions and prosecutions etc. Every day's a school day

Last night, Compliance Officers were out checking @WolvesCouncil
private hire vehicles working in Chorley, Lancashire.

Yesterday, Compliance Officers got wet, wet, wet in torrential weather conditions at three regional Airports Birmingham, Manchester & East Midlands in coordinated licensing operations making sure everyone was getting home/away safe

Licensing Compliance were on patrol in Nuneaton and Bedworth last Friday night, alongside @warkspolice and colleagues from @NBBCouncil

Compliance found this tyre on a @WolvesCouncil
PHV in Manchester City Centre on Friday night. PHV licence suspended!

On Friday night, while on patrol with @MerPolTraffic
in Liverpool City Centre, Compliance found this vehicle with a split in the tyre wall.

A key function for upholding public safety
is compliance (ensuring licence holders are
following their licence conditions and the
law) and enforcement (taking action against
licensees who breach conditions or break the
law, as well as any illegal/unlicensed traders).