FIFTEEN of SIXTEEN taxis failed road side checks in what council describes as ‘worst ever’ result

A shocking FIFTEEN out of SIXTEEN taxis failed to meet standards when pulled over in recent checks in the Pendle district.

The vehicles stopped had a range of serious faults identified by VOSA engineers. These included multiple wheel nuts missing and major oil leaks.

The jaw dropping enforcement stats were revealed by Pendle Council taxi licensing committee chairman, Cllr Kieran McGladdery, who described the result as the "worst-ever" of its type.

There have been plans to make changes to the checks that are undertaken on taxis during enforcement operations. The council’s taxi committee produced new check-lists and planned penalties, to make more drivers and vehicle owners compliant with licensing requirements. The penalties range from penalty points to the loss of licences.

Cllr McGladdery said: “The spot-checks involved council officers, VOSA engineers and the police escorting taxis to a garage for safety checks. This resulted in 15 of 16 vehicles failing the basic standards and being pulled off the road immediately.

“Some of the failures I witnessed during the spot-check were five vehicles with major oil leaks. The VOSA engineers said these could imminently burst into flames.

”We also saw multiple vehicles with wheel nuts missing – the worst had four missing. One vehicle with the hand brake applied started rolling away. Elsewhere, we saw various bulbs were out among other safety-critical failures.”

In a trade first, a new mobile device app has been suggested. The app would require drivers to perform pre-shift vehicle checks using GPS and requesting images if required.

Cllr McGladdery added: “The latest results are the worst on record. We have noted the impact of the pandemic on finances covering recent years. However, safety is a priority."