Police crackdown on Taxi and private hire vehicle defects see a number of drivers being suspended

Derbyshire road police carried out checks on taxi and private hire vehicles to make sure they were up to the safety standards required for the industry. Several issues were found with a number of vehicles. Problems included corrosion, lights that were not properly secured and a fractured suspension. The task force spent around six hours checking over vehicles which led to a number of drivers having their licence suspended. One private hire driver had his licence suspended for having the cars battery insecurely fitted and an insecure headlamp. The vehicle licence was not secured to the vehicle properly also.

A licence was suspended of another private hire driver because the vehicles brake light was out and the CV gaitor was split. Both front tyres were also without sufficient air.

A third private hire driver was suspended and handed a prohibition notice for having a fractured suspension coil spring which had become detached from its lower seating point.

Hackney carriage taxis were not without criticism too, with one driver having his licence suspended for having corrosion within 30cm of the lower rear passenger seat mount. The steering idler box was also not secure.

As highlighted in the DerbyshireLive, PG9 prohibition notices are issued for mechanical problems or for the condition of a vehicle’s bodywork and equipment. Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit said that although some drivers have been rightly taken off the road while the vehicle defects are fixed, the operation was not a success as the situation never improves.