Taxi Driver Online

As a member of our PHA committee, in I am about to enter into discussions with our local council with a view to looking at novel ways to test vehicles rather than the present archaic method of being done by the bin lorry mechanics !
One avenue is appointed local garages and I know this is done elswhere. Any experience of this in particular, or testing in general, from other members would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers in advance

brighton council allow about six different testing stations.
it works very well.
included is the main skoda and Lti dealerships which aren't even in the city.
In fact the LTI dealership is about 50 miles away.
but they are still permitted to test cabs.
get your LO to ring our licensing department.

Our Council allow tests to be undertaken by Local MoT authorised test centres. Works well, no problems.

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

I personally prefer our LA doing the tests, I always think you get a kind of uniformity, as opposed to going to different garages.

The danger always is that personal familiarity with garages that may do you repair work and servicing for taxis and also do tests will lead to people being let off lightly.

Captain Cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

The PCO would be welcome to all my mechanical work.

From experience I would not advocate the testing of vehicles other than by the local authority. I have a vast amount of evidence of vehicles been privately MOTd a day or two prior to our inspection and serious defects been found ( some of these vehicles inspected by main dealerships). Details of the sites have been and continue to be passed to VOSA for their action.

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LO.

I entirely agree, even among LAs the stringency of tests varys, and even within single LAs there's certainly anecdotal evidence of varying approaches by testers.

The MoT process is even more of a lottery. A friend of mine who was an ambulance driver said they took the vehicles to a certain MoT tester because they knew they would be lenient.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

That's ok as long as the local council has more than the odd ramp.

I think a number of dealers is good, and if there are some iffy testers out there, then the council should exclude them.

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IDFIMH

I think the smaller licensing authorities may find it easier to exempt themselves from conducting MOT tests on the grounds of costs and administration time. They probably find it easier for both them and the operator to have the vehicle tested at a designated testing station. All vehicles are still subject to routine random checks by the enforcement officer.

Regards

JD

In theory at least, but I don't think some LAs bother with spot checks, so to that extent the detterent of a spot check is academic, and they're often pretty superficial (of necessity) anyway.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

[quote="yorkscot"][color=red]As a member of our PHA committee, in I am about to enter into discussions with our local council with a view to looking at novel ways to test vehicles rather than the present archaic method quote]

Am led to believe that Harrogate, North Yorks has all test done by MOTC garages, unfortunatly we have to have our done by the bin wagon mechanics, and lawnmower mechanics, all with no formal engineering qualifications, there is many a time that a dispute comes up that they pull an item on the vehicle that has just passed a goverment approved MOTC prior to the council test, some of the owners have to get the main agents to step in with a letter lets say for example slight wear to ball joint, there would be woudn't there with a prise bar that long, then the main agents for the vehicle comes back and says we checked the item and it was inside the tolerance of manufactors figures for movement of that ball joint the item was ok.

Bin wagon mechanics !!! Lawn mower mechanics !!! No formal engineering qualifications !!! Some pretty serious and also scurrilous allegations there!!! During my past 13 years in the business I have always thought, perhaps in my naivety,that everyone involved in the testing of HC and PH were authorised vehicle examiners, subject to the MOTOR VEHICLES TESTS REGULATIONS 1981 (HACKNEY CARRIAGES AND PRIVATE HIRE CARS) and subject to Section 45 Road Traffic Act 1988.

In the area which I work (CHESTER) the inspections for licensing are carried out by licensing officers who have no mechanical qualifications at all.

The actual test consists of checking your lights,tyres,windscreen wipers,seatbelts and first aid kit.It takes about 15 minutes and is in my opinion an absolute farce.The result sometimes is a clapped out old banger with lights and wipers that work with a plate on,in one instance a car that had been written off twice was passed.

I personally would be much happier if the test was taken at an approved testing station by a qualified mechanic.

Then the council leave themselves wide open to a legal challenge if they fail someone.

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IDFIMH

Quality.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk