Taxi Cop reports on weekend enforcement spree as rank parking tickets issued and unlicensed drivers stopped in Bristol
- Perry Richardson
- 6 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Police and council enforcement officers issued 29 penalty notices and stopped multiple unlicensed and uninsured drivers during a weekend operation focused on taxi ranks and licensed vehicle compliance in Bristol.
PC Patrick Quinton, Taxi Cop for Avon and Somerset Police, said he worked alongside Bristol City Council parking officers on Friday and Saturday evenings to address widespread misuse of taxi ranks in the city centre. Tickets were issued to a mix of private hire vehicles, mopeds, members of the public and a minibus found parked illegally on designated taxi ranks.
PC Quinton said most issues involving licensed vehicles related to basic compliance failures rather than serious offending. “Most of the issues with licensed vehicles I found over the weekend involved lights out and not displaying badges,” he said, adding that winter conditions meant drivers needed to take extra care to keep number plates clean and clearly visible.
The operation was disrupted by wider public order incidents in the city centre, with PC Quinton temporarily redeployed to respond to disorder and assaults. He said this reduced the amount of time he was able to spend on taxi enforcement on Saturday night.
Police and council officers targeted taxi rank abuse and licensing breaches during a busy weekend operation in central Bristol
Despite this, intelligence from the licensed trade led to the detection of a suspected unlicensed taxi. PC Quinton said a licensed driver reported the vehicle, providing details and its direction of travel. The vehicle was stopped shortly afterwards and the driver was found to be acting as an unlicensed driver, vehicle and operator, as well as touting for hire rather than simply plying illegally.
“The outcome won’t be known yet, but is likely to be six points for no insurance and a fine,” PC Quinton said.
In a separate incident, PC Quinton stopped a vehicle he suspected was operating an unlicensed airport run. While the journey turned out to be a genuine family trip, checks revealed the driver was uninsured. The expected penalty is six penalty points and a £300 fine.
PC Quinton also said he held an early-morning meeting with a British Transport Police sergeant at around 5am to discuss ongoing taxi-related issues at local train stations before finishing his shift.
The weekend activity highlights continued joint working between police, local authorities and the licensed taxi trade in Bristol, with enforcement focused not only on rank protection but also on identifying uninsured and unlicensed activity that can undermine passenger safety and compliant operators.
