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Avon and Somerset ‘Taxi Cop’ checks uncovers private hire vehicles with tinted windows and missing wheel nut, along with absent badges
A roadside check found one locally licensed private hire vehicle with front windows transmitting 32% of light, alongside a vehicle with a missing wheel nut and two drivers without their badges.
PC Patrick Quinton of Avon and Somerset Police said officers found excessively tinted front windows on a locally licensed private hire vehicle during an inspection.
A light transmission test recorded 32%, below the 70% minimum stated by Quinton. He said the tint posed a particular safety risk at night.
Officers also found a second locally licensed private hire vehicle with a missing wheel nut, according to Quinton.
Two drivers did not have their badges with them during the checks. Quinton said failing to carry a badge was a criminal offence.
The two drivers will be reported to their respective non-local councils, he said. The police did not provide details of the councils, the vehicles’ operators or any further enforcement action.
The findings highlight the range of issues that can arise during checks of licensed private hire vehicles, from vehicle condition and visibility to drivers carrying required identification.
PC Quinton said: “This locally licensed PHV was found with excessively tinted front windows. At night it’s a particularly serious safety risk. You can see from the photo that the light transmission was 32%, but it should be at least 70%.
“We also found another locally licensed PHV with a missing wheel nut. Two drivers did not have their badges with them at all (its a criminal offence) and will be reported to their non-local Councils.”
