Taxi Driver Online

Warning to taxi drivers to maintain their cabs

TAXI drivers have been told to make sure their vehicles are up to scratch — or risk having them taken off the road. The warning comes after the latest spot checks revealed more than 70 per cent of those checked shouldn’t have been on the road. And one in seven taxis had “dangerous faults”.

Bolton Council and traffic officers from Greater Manchester Police stopped 56 vehicles over three nights in December, and immediately banned 43 of them from working until the problems had been sorted. The figures, which appear on the minutes of Bolton Council’s last hackney carriage and private hire consultative panel meeting, have just been made public.

Cllr David Wilkinson, who sits on the panel and the council’s licensing committee, said the number of taxis taken off the road was “totally unacceptable”. He said: “I think we need to take tougher enforcement action against some of these drivers and firms.

“To have more than 70 per cent of vehicles deemed to be unsuitable on three occasions is totally unacceptable. We perhaps need to adopt more draconian measures to make sure that the taxis in this borough are safe. “Some of the faults may only be minor but if people aren’t taking responsibility for these then we have a big problem.”

While not all of the taxis and hackney carriages were suspended for vehicle defects, nine of the vehicles were found to have “dangerous faults”. Officials also found 18 faults that would have failed an MOT, 18 lighting defects and 19 cases where drivers were breaching licence conditions.

Once a vehicle is suspended following a failed check, owners — be it the driver or the company — must address the problem and present the vehicle to the licensing unit at Bolton Council before they are allowed back on the road. If the problem is not sorted within two months, the licence is revoked.

Asif Vali, former chairman of the Private Hire Association and owner of Rapid Private Hire, said the council should restrict the number of new drivers entering the trade. He said: “I would say that 99 per cent of the drivers and operators are good but unfortunately, there are some who are cutting corners and that is damaging the reputation of the industry.

“Those drivers that have been in the trade for years are suffering because of the flood of new drivers. People are turning their four-door family saloons into taxis.”

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IDFIMH

What's it to do with PH if they are taxis or was it PH as well



It obviously isn't the case that 99% of them are ok if 70% of those checked had problems. Is it something about Bolton that makes the trade reps chat sh*te

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

What vehicles do they use there WAVs or saloons, and do they have an age policy in place

What difference does it make

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I would have to wonder if the police's own vehicles or those belonging to the council would fare any better?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Shush, I think you might be on to something there

Where's the shining light of the Bolton Trade Charlie??

Well wherever he is it's not making the newspaper. Perhaps he was in Bury or Blackburn or Preston. Having said that what can you do if the vehicle fails for genuine reasons. Perhaps these drivers need to be told to keep their vehicles up to scratch it's part and parcel of the job

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

if i say anything it will be wrong, spellt wrong. and there were no hackneys in that lot by the way.

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

So it wasn't taxis it was PH then. That will explain why the comment came for former chairman of the Private Hire Association and why the public get so confused over what is a taxi and what is not when the papers print these things

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

slag off and not said a word, and no he was not in this association.

you and him have a lot in common, you dont find the facts before opening gob.

and most of it is nothing like the truth, so you are someone who care less about the truth and what did go on, and is happy carry on in this world by taking side whether or not it right and should be viewed with suspicion of your motives.

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

Me and whom have a lot in common?

I don't have a gob either

It's just a bit of sarcastic humour, get a life ffs

Why not comment on the viable points I made as well

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!