Vehicle suspended after late night operation targeting local taxis

A joint operation between North East Lincolnshire Council’s licensing team and Humberside Police saw 11 random roadside spot check inspections on local taxis in Cleethorpes on Friday 9 June.

A council licensing officer checked all drivers and the general conditions of the vehicles, while Humberside Police checked DVLA licences, insurances, tyres, lights and vehicle tax.

The enforcement evening found the following issues:

• One taxi was immediately suspended for not displaying the vehicle licence plate.
• One driver was advised to remove the tint from their vehicle’s windows.
• One driver was given a warning with regards to his manner of driving.
• One driver was found without an ID Badge.
• One vehicle had the incorrect registration number plate (the vehicle was not an electric vehicle).
• One vehicle was very unclean and had incorrect carpets in the footwell. 

Drivers have been spoken to and the issues will be monitored until they are resolved. The suspension on the taxi has now been lifted and the issue has been resolved.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said: “I’d like to thank the officers from both the council’s licensing team and Humberside Police for carrying out these spot checks.

“It’s important that the standards of our taxis are the highest that they can be and that they are safe for local residents. This work is about making sure these standards are being adhered to.

“I’m pleased to say that the majority of drivers do uphold these standards and I thank them for that.”

Roads Policing Constable Chris Brown added: “Over the course of the week, we carried out a number of spot checks on licensed vehicles across the Humberside region.

“Whilst the vast majority of drivers act responsibly and adhere to the regulations, a small minority did have their licenses suspended.

“Those who break the law behind the wheel are putting lives at risk and by participating in operations like this, alongside our partnering agencies, we hope to have contributed in making the roads of our region safer for everyone.”

Stay safe and smart when you get a taxi

• Always use a licensed vehicle.
• Hackney Carriage Vehicles can pick up unarranged fares from the street.  They have a taxi roof sign and a white licence plate on the rear bumper. 
• Private hire vehicles are not permitted to pick up from the street without being pre-booked.  They have a half moon door sign on the front two doors which say ‘advanced bookings only’, and a yellow licence plate on the rear bumper. Book by phone, email or in a private hire office.  Never approach or accept a journey from a private hire driver which isn’t pre-booked.
• When your booked vehicle arrives, make sure the driver can confirm your name and destination – check this before you get into the vehicle.
• Check the driver’s photo ID badge.
• Never risk getting into a private hire vehicle which is not pre-booked.

The council’s licensing department warns against arranging journeys with unlicensed people on the internet and social media as they are not insured and these individuals have had no checks, which could put people in potential danger.