One in three taxis had significant defect - police
Police selected taxis not carrying passengers for spot checks
At a glance
Operation Edge targeted taxis in York
In total, 31 vehicles were stopped
Eleven were found to have a "significant defect"
Some of the vehicles could have caused a serious accident, police said.
- Published
A third of taxis checked as part of an operation targeting unsafe vehicles were found to have "significant defects", police have said.
Operation Edge saw officers team up with City of York Council and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
Of the 31 taxis stopped in York city centre on Saturday, 11 were found to have significant defects and taken off the road.
PC Dave Ellison, from North Yorkshire Police, said: "Some of these vehicles could have caused a serious road traffic collision if they had continued to operate."
Another two vehicles were issued with rectification notices for minor defects and three were given advisories for "minor breaches in conditions", according to the force.
Mr Ellison said: "We were successful in identifying several taxis which had faults. These included dangerous tyres and faulty suspension.
“Members of the public who choose to use and pay for a taxi expect the vehicle to be safe.
“This operation sends out a clear message to taxi drivers to ensure that vehicles are maintained so they are fit for purpose and legal to be on the road.”
Officers in marked police vehicles patrolled the city centre looking for taxis that did not have passengers on board. The taxi was then requested to stop and follow the police vehicle to a specialist bay where checks were carried out.
Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, external, Twitter, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk, external.