‘UNROADWORTHY’: Taxis and PHVs removed from Peterborough roads following checks

Image credit: Peterborough City Council

Four taxi and private hire vehicles (PHV) were removed from Peterborough’s roads after being deemed to be ‘unroadworthy’.

Licensing Officers from Peterborough City Council were involved in a joint operation with officers from Cambridgeshire Police, HMRC and DVSA to inspect taxis operating in Peterborough.

On 8 September, vehicles were stopped by Cambridgeshire Police and inspected at Pleasure Fair Meadow car park, Oundle Road. The taxis were checked for potential safety risks, whilst drivers were checked to ensure their licences were compliant.

In total, 39 taxis and private hire vehicles were stopped, with four being issued with immediate prohibition notices by the DVSA due to being in an unroadworthy condition and were removed from the road. A further ten vehicles were issued with warnings and suitable advice. Notable defects identified in the operation included dangerously worn tyres, non-functioning lights and tinted windows being darker than lawfully permitted.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communications, Culture and Communities, Councillor Steve Allen, said: “The importance of this joint operation in cracking down on unroadworthy taxis and private hire vehicles cannot be understated. Peterborough’s taxi and private car hire services are used by thousands every day, we must ensure that these vehicles are safe.

“I’d like to thank all parties for their hard work and dedication in finding those taxi drivers whose standards had fallen well below those expected by this authority. I hope these checks help residents to feel safe and we will continue to work alongside the Police, DVSA and HMRC."