Spot checks reveal issues with taxis

Out of 16 taxis stopped, several had issues

A operation by North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) and Humberside Police has found several issues with local taxis.

The council's licensing team carried out spot checks on the evening of 25 May and found issues including accident damage, uncleanliness, broken roof lights and a driver working without a badge or tariff card.

The authority said the checks serve as a reminder for residents to always check they are using licensed private hire vehicles and to pre-book journeys with them, unless they are using Hackney carriages.

David Lawrie, director of the National Private Hire & Taxi Association (NPHTA), said the findings were an "excellent result from the local trade" and welcomed the council's messaging around using licensed, pre-booked taxis.

During the checks, the licensing team checked all drivers and the general condition of the vehicles, while Humberside Police checked the conditions of the vehicles including the tyres and lights.

Mr Lawrie said the NPHTA welcomed spot checks by local authorities, but said the list of faults found were "vague" and "not really worth reporting."

He added something like accident damage could mean many things - even from a prang "with a trolley in Asda," and was not sure what advice officers had for a driver with their lights on except "you might flatten your battery if those are left on for a long time".

The Council gave the following advice when using private hire taxis:

• Always use a licensed taxi

• Don't take private hire taxi journeys without pre-booking first

• Don't book journeys with unlicensed drivers on social media

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