Mayor of London reveals MAMMOTH month of taxi and PHV checks resulting in 665 reports and offences

Over 750 officers were used over the festive period to hammer home safer travel at night in both taxis and minicabs.

The campaign in December saw nearly 300 deployments stopping and checking a mammoth 6,281 licensed vehicles and drivers. The checks resulted in 665 reports and offences made against taxi and private hire vehicles (PHV) licensees.

Transport for London (TfL) operation officers also reviewed records at 123 private hire operating centres. Checks were made against complaints, drivers, vehicles and booking records to ensure operators were following regulations.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “Operation Safer Travel at Night (STaN) is a joint initiative between the Mayor, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the City of London Police and Transport for London (TfL). Over the festive period, officers were on the streets providing a visible and reassuring presence for the public while raising awareness of the safe ways to use taxi and private hire vehicles or public transport.

“They used a broad range of tactics to identify and deter non-compliant or illegal taxi and private hire activity, including driver and vehicle checks. To support ongoing activity, TfL reviewed the current STaN customer communications and developed digital toolkits to share with universities and its partners signed up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter in the night-time economy. The toolkits include posters, social media posts, photography and video content for TfL’s partners to use to champion safer travel at night.

“During the STaN campaign carried out in December, over 750 officers completed nearly 300 STaN deployments. TfL’s Operations officers also reviewed records at 123 private hire operating centres and checked complaints, drivers, vehicles and booking records to ensure operators complied with regulations. Officers stopped and checked 6,281 taxis and private hire vehicles and drivers, resulting in 665 reports and offences.”