Post by acnedriver on Mar 28, 2023 5:33:36 GMT
FIFTEEN out of 16 taxis stopped in a safety spot-check failed to meet the required standards, a councillor has said. Cllr Kieran McGladdery, Pendle Council taxi licensing committee chairman, said the results were the "worst-ever" for this type of spot-check.
Issues included oil leaks, which could have burst into flames, and missing wheel nuts, he says.
He was highlighting new plans to improve taxi checks required by drivers and taxi companies, which are designed to protect the public.
But there is some disagreement in Pendle about the ideas, the level of consultation and the way forward.
Proposed taxi licensing changes include a new vehicle check-list and penalty system for firms or drivers who fail to comply.
Also a new mobile phone app which ensures genuine vehicle checks are done has been suggested.
Council chiefs have been looking at making changes to taxi checks and licensing enforcement for some time.
The borough’s taxi committee recently drew-up a new safety check-list and proposed penalties, ranging from penalty points to the loss of licences.
Cllr McGladdery said he was alarmed at the taxi spot-checks.
He said: “The spot-checks involved council officers, VOSA engineers and the police escorting taxis to a garage for safety checks. This resulted in 15 of 16 vehicles failing the basic standards and being pulled off the road immediately.
“Some of the failures I witnessed during the spot-check were five vehicles with major oil leaks. The VOSA engineers said these could imminently burst into flames.
"We also saw multiple vehicles with wheel nuts missing – the worst had four missing. One vehicle with the hand brake applied started rolling away. Elsewhere, we saw various bulbs were out among other safety-critical failures.”
A new phone app has also been suggested for drivers. This would ensure drivers perform pre-shift safety checks by using GPS technology which detects movement and timings, and can also request photos.
www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23415130.taxis-pendle-fail-spot-check-droves-amid-safety-crackdown-call/
Issues included oil leaks, which could have burst into flames, and missing wheel nuts, he says.
He was highlighting new plans to improve taxi checks required by drivers and taxi companies, which are designed to protect the public.
But there is some disagreement in Pendle about the ideas, the level of consultation and the way forward.
Proposed taxi licensing changes include a new vehicle check-list and penalty system for firms or drivers who fail to comply.
Also a new mobile phone app which ensures genuine vehicle checks are done has been suggested.
Council chiefs have been looking at making changes to taxi checks and licensing enforcement for some time.
The borough’s taxi committee recently drew-up a new safety check-list and proposed penalties, ranging from penalty points to the loss of licences.
Cllr McGladdery said he was alarmed at the taxi spot-checks.
He said: “The spot-checks involved council officers, VOSA engineers and the police escorting taxis to a garage for safety checks. This resulted in 15 of 16 vehicles failing the basic standards and being pulled off the road immediately.
“Some of the failures I witnessed during the spot-check were five vehicles with major oil leaks. The VOSA engineers said these could imminently burst into flames.
"We also saw multiple vehicles with wheel nuts missing – the worst had four missing. One vehicle with the hand brake applied started rolling away. Elsewhere, we saw various bulbs were out among other safety-critical failures.”
A new phone app has also been suggested for drivers. This would ensure drivers perform pre-shift safety checks by using GPS technology which detects movement and timings, and can also request photos.
www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23415130.taxis-pendle-fail-spot-check-droves-amid-safety-crackdown-call/