Joint Council and Police operation oversees successful minicab licensing checks in Thames Valley

Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) Taxi Licencing team and Thames Valley police officers over saw a joint operation that saw two private hire vehicles suspended for vehicle defects. 

Drivers were also issued penalty points against their private hire drivers’ licences and other drivers were issued Fixed Penalty Notices by Thames Valley Police Officers.

Last Saturday, 14 September, officers from the Aylesbury Vale District Council Taxi Licensing team, carried out a joint enforcement operation in Aylesbury town centre with Thames Valley Police Officers to check over private hire and hackney carriage vehicles to ensure they were complying with the conditions of their licences.

As reported earlier this week on TaxiPoint, two private hire vehicles were suspended for vehicle defects such as non operational headlights, chipped/cracked windscreens and protruding sharp edges.

Drivers were also issued penalty points against their private hire drivers’ licences for not wearing their driver badges, no first aid kits, wrong size fire extinguishers and broken lamp casings. Other drivers were issued Fixed Penalty Notices by Thames Valley Police Officers for not wearing their seatbelt, having defective headlights and another for failing to obey road traffic signs, contravening road traffic regulations. Another driver was identified by Thames Valley Police officers as failing to notify the council of a recent arrest and will now face an investigation by Licensing Officers to determine his fitness to continue to hold a private hire drivers licence. The Taxi Licensing team have introduced a dedicated team to complete Enhanced Vehicle Checks on all licensed vehicles to ensure that all vehicles comply with the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy and standards set by the Council to ensure compliance and passenger safety. Licensing Officer Michelle Shelly said: “We appreciate that a bulb can go at any time in any vehicle, so we encourage drivers to carry bulbs with them in their licensed vehicles so these can be changed at the side of the road to prevent the suspension of their vehicle or incurring a penalty by the police. Aylesbury Vale is a mostly rural district and driving with a defective headlight is very dangerous. “Most of the types of defects identified on the night are preventable by drivers carrying out regular checks on their vehicles prior to commencing work. Private Hire and Hackney Carriage vehicles provide a much needed service to the public and it is the drivers and operators responsibility to ensure that their vehicles are regularly serviced and well maintained.” Cllr Sue Renshell, Chairman of AVDC’s Licensing Committee said: “The council will continue to carry out these joint enforcement operations to ensure all licensed vehicles are up to standard and safe for the travelling public. This enforcement action is a great example of successful joint agency working and highlights the need for regular enforcement operations. “The Taxi Licensing team and I would like to thank the Police Officers from #Team4 for their dedicated proactive approach on the night.”