Agencies combine to keep Bristol passengers safe

Bristol City Council’s Licensing Enforcement Team, the Police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency were out in force on Saturday (9 June) to check the safety of local taxis.  Staff from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the City Council’s  Housing Benefit  Department were also there to gather information if drivers were working while claiming benefit.

Of the 91 vehicles checked in the time 55 were licensed for private hire use, and the remainder as hackney carriages. Although 74 of the vehicles were found to be compliant with legal requirements, 17 were not, and the vehicle licences were suspended with immediate effect until the necessary remedial work was carried out.
The majority of problems identified concerned defective fire extinguishers, tyres, lights and seat belts.

Cllr David Morris, Chair of Bristol City Council's Public Safety and Protection Committee said
“We would like to thank drivers for their patience during the stop checks and assure them that operations like this make the roads of Bristol safer for passengers and other drivers” “Agencies often work together in this way and invariably the experience for all concerned is a valuable and positive one and helps to ensure public safety”.
“The majority of taxis on Bristol legal and safe and these operations are welcomed by the taxi trade. Licensed Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles play an important role in Bristol, especially in relation to the night time economy, but we need to send out a clear message we will not tolerate any breaches of licensing conditions that could have a negative impact on public safety."

Inspector Keith Rundle said: "This is a great example of the agencies coming together to keep people safe in the city. Thanks to ongoing operations like this one people in Bristol can be assured that they are traveling in vehicles that are roadworthy and that they are being driven by legitimate drivers."

"We are determined to ensure that local taxi operators adhere to the highest standards in order to protect the public. so it's essential that these vehicles comply with all legal requirements governing their use. "Public safety is of paramount importance, We have a duty to ensure our taxis are operating within the law and with due regard to the safety and comfort of passengers, and there can be no compromise when it comes to the safety of the travelling public,"  said Cllr Morris.