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Anger Over Taxi Safety Crackdown
1st August 2008
A Blitz on dodgy taxis in Neath and Port Talbot has seen around 15 ordered off the road - and sparked an angry backlash from cabbies. The vehicles were hit with immediate prohibition and suspension notices after defects were found during safety checks.
The operation also saw council fraud officers identify 10 taxi drivers who were suspected of being in breach of benefits rules, a report to the authority's registration and licensing committee reveals.
Neath Taxi Proprietors' Association chairman Bob Hoyles said the peak-time exercise ended up hurting law-abiding drivers most - at a time when they are struggling due to soaring fuel costs - but the council said it was all about passenger safety.
Finance and corporate services director Derek Davies said: "Following a multi-agency random vehicle check, a number of taxis were found to have defects.
"The owners were instructed to repair the defects before being allowed to continue working."
The clampdown was carried out by South Wales Police, council licensing and benefit fraud officers and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) inspectors.
Taxis, minibuses and a stretch limousine were subjected to rigorous safety checks at locations throughout the county.
But Mr Hoyles criticised the council for putting yet more strain on an already struggling industry.
He said: "We all agree these checks are necessary, but the way it was orchestrated could have been much better.
"The licensing officers knew exactly what they were doing; it was peak time on a Saturday night when they did the checks.
"They have cost us money and they knew they were hitting us hard doing that."
It is understood VOSA ordered about 15 taxis and minibuses off the road during the blitz, which involved checks on 78 vehicles. Several had suspensions lifted later in the evening after carrying out repairs, while those with deferred suspensions were given seven days to sort out the problems.
Meanwhile, those suspected of benefits breaches are being investigated by the council's fraud team and the Department of Work and Pensions.
Neath Port Talbot has suggested that, in light of these results, further similar operations will be carried out in the future.
However, according to Mr Hoyles, the exercise did more harm than good.
He added: "The feedback I have had from the public is unbelievable.
"They were carrying out checks on Windsor Road and at one point there were 18 cars waiting.
"And they were stopping taxis with customers in them, so the customers had to wait an extra half an hour with the meter running.
"They carried out the checks in the middle of town for two hours and within 20 minutes everyone in Neath knew about it.
"Once the shady taxi drivers heard, they were off the road, so it was only the law-abiding drivers being punished."
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Kind regards,
Brummie Cabbie.
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