Eight Ribble Valley Borough licensed taxis pass DVSA safety checks ahead of Christmas
- Perry Richardson
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
A joint enforcement operation by Ribble Valley Borough Council and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has found all taxis and private hire vehicles inspected in Ribble Valley to be operating to the required standard.
The pre-Christmas spot checks were carried out on Wednesday 17 December, with officers examining a total of eight licensed vehicles operating in the borough. The inspections formed part of routine safety and compliance activity ahead of the Christmas and New Year period, traditionally one of the busiest times of year for the local taxi trade.
According to the council, each hackney carriage and private hire vehicle subjected to inspection met licensing and roadworthiness requirements, with no enforcement action required.
Alongside the enforcement operation, the council has reiterated guidance for passengers to help reduce risk when using taxis during Christmas and New Year. Officials stressed the importance of understanding the legal difference between hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, noting that only hackney carriages displaying blue plates can be hailed on the street or used at taxi ranks. Private hire vehicles, which carry yellow plates, must be booked in advance through a licensed operator and are not permitted to pick up passengers without a prior booking.
All vehicles inspected during a joint council and DVSA operation were found to be compliant, as passengers are urged to stay alert over the festive period
Passengers are also being advised to check that drivers are wearing valid identification badges and to ensure the photograph on the badge matches the person driving the vehicle. Vehicles should clearly display their licence plates at the rear and on the left-hand side of the windscreen, and passengers are encouraged to photograph plates if they are unsure.
The council further warned against sharing personal details with drivers and said that private hire fares should always be agreed with the operator before travel, while hackney carriage fares remain set by the council.
The council confirmed that similar compliance activity will continue into the new year as part of its wider licensing and road safety programme.
Councillor Ian Brown, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, said: “It’s great to see that in this case all the vehicles were up to the standards we would expect.
“The council and DVSA will continue to carry out regular inspections of licensed vehicles in the borough throughout the year to help ensure standards are kept high and passengers, and drivers, are kept safe.”
