Crackdown on Burnley unlicensed airport taxis
9:54am Friday 15th July 2011
Holidaymakers are being warned after two taxis from Burnley were found carrying passengers without a licence.
Burnley Council has launched a joint operation with Manchester Airport Police to tackle rogue airport taxis.
A number of other taxis and their drivers from Burnley are also being investigated as part of the operation.
Now as the holiday season gets under way council bosses are warning residents using airport transfer companies to check that the drivers and vehicles are licensed.
A spokesperson from the council’s licensing unit said: “If you are paying a company to take you to or from the airport make sure they are properly licensed."
“Generally a vehicle carrying up to eight passengers is licensed by the local authority in which they operate from as either a ‘Private Hire Vehicle’ or ‘Hackney Carriage’ ".
"Vehicles carrying more than eight passengers are licensed by VOSA."
“The risks when using unlicensed vehicles include the vehicle being uninsured, not tested as rigorously as a licensed vehicle and the driver not being qualified or CRB checked."
“We would also advise travel agencies to check that the companies they are recommending to customers are properly licensed.”
Mohammed Arif, chairman of Burnley Taxi Association, said: “I am not aware of these problems, but I will be looking into this."
“If people are operating without a licence or insurance then they are cowboys stealing jobs from legitimate taxi drivers and we are not here to defend them and they should be caught.”
For information or advice, call Burnley Council on 01282 425011.
Source; http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... ort_taxis/
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