Fourteen taxis break road safety laws in a day

A day of action was held earlier in the month by Milton Keynes City Council and Thames Valley Police

Fourteen private hire and Hackney carriage taxis have been found to have broken road traffic and licensing laws on one day in a city.

Milton Keynes City Council and Thames Valley Police carried out a roadside inspection of 36 vehicles that were licensed in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Wolverhampton, Luton, Central Bedfordshire and London.

They were found with bald tyres, expired licences, no licence plates, damage, missing signs and absent driver badges.

Police said the public should rightly expect when hiring a vehicle that they were in "a road legal condition".

The taxis were found to have a number of issues

Fixed penalty notices and suspension notices were issued to the offending drivers, who were also told what they needed to do to become compliant.

Thames Valley Police said: "The public should rightly expect vehicles used for hire to be in a road legal condition and that those operating the vehicles comply with relevant licensing laws.

"Our message is very clear. It is essential that your vehicles are road legal and in compliance with licensing laws, and appropriate action will be taken when we find evidence that they are not."

Councillor Mick Legg, the Labour cabinet member for regulatory services, said safety and compliance was "non-negotiable".

"We're committed to ensuring that all taxi services operating in Milton Keynes meet the required standards to protect passengers and other road users."

Further days of action were planned for later in the year, the council said.