ENFORCEMENT: Highlands and Islands Police carry out taxi and PHV checks on more than 60 vehicles

Image credit: Highland and Islands Police

Highlands and Islands Road Policing officers, along with local policing officers and Highland Council Trading Standards, carried out road side checks on taxis and private hire cars as part of a festive engagement initiative.

Between Tuesday 29 November and Wednesday 30 November, patrols were carried out in the Inverness, Lochaber and Ross-shire areas with more than 60 taxis and private hire cars being stopped and checked.

A number of offences were detected, including taxi licencing infringements, and were dealt with by Trading Standards.

Sergeant Calum MacAulay, of Dingwall Road Policing Unit, said: “Alongside our annual festive drink and drug drive campaign, we carried out this initiative to ensure that members of the public who are celebrating this festive season with friends and family but are not driving themselves, can be assured that they can get home safely by taxi or private hire car.

“We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that we can all enjoy this festive season safely.”

David Mackenzie, Trading Standards Manager at Highland Council, said: “We welcome the opportunity to work with our partners at Police Scotland in conducting these checks. The licensed taxi and PHC trade are a very important part of the Highland community, serving locals and tourists alike, and the trade undergoes routine vehicle safety checks, driver checks and taxi meter tests throughout the year. These activities are planned with all concerned aware they need to take place and set the standard to be applied at all times.”