Taxi licenced in Bradford was one of 11 found with defects during Harrogate police operation

A taxi which had been granted a licence in Bradford was taken off the road when police joined other officials to carry out spot checks on vehicles in Harrogate.
Eleven taxis were found to have defects when checks were carried out by police in North Yorkshire.Eleven taxis were found to have defects when checks were carried out by police in North Yorkshire.
Eleven taxis were found to have defects when checks were carried out by police in North Yorkshire.

It was one of 11 vehicles to be found with defects during checks to ensure taxis operating in the town were providing a safe service to passengers, North Yorkshire Police said today.

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Officers from North Yorkshire Police’s Road Policing Group worked alongside Harrogate Borough Council, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to check a total of 23 private hire vehicles and Hackney Carriages during the operation on Friday evening.

DVSA officials carried out full mechanical examinations to check for any defects and found one taxi, licenced in Bradford, had a fault with its tyres.

It was given an immediate prohibition notice, which means it cannot be on the road until repairs are made.

Three other vehicles were given a delayed prohibition notice due to issues with wheels, suspension and other components, giving them seven days to rectify the fault.

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Seven drivers were advised in relation to minor vehicle defects and several drivers were also warned by taxi inspectors about breaches of taxi licencing rules.

Traffic Sergeant Andy Morton, of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, said: “We have been conducting these operations periodically for the last five years in an effort to improve safety for taxi customers.

“Previous years’ operations have found a significant number of vehicles were below the necessary safety standards, resulting in them being taken off the road. While it is disappointing that this year’s operation found four vehicles that had to be issued with some sort of prohibition notice, there has been a noticeable improvement in the overall condition of the vehicles inspected over the last two years, which I am very pleased about.

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“I would again remind taxi drivers that it is their responsibility to ensure their vehicle is free of defects before they use it, regardless of the fact it is a company vehicle. They will be held responsible for these defects which ultimately put their safety at risk, as well as that of their passengers.

“I would, however, like to commend many of the drivers for the improvements we have seen in overall vehicle safety and compliance. We will be continuing these enforcement operations with our partners to ensure standards are maintained.”