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Wolverhampton private hire drivers faced Halloween police tyre checks in Manchester, but no horror wheels found
All tyres inspected on 20 Wolverhampton-licensed private hire vehicles were found to be in good condition during a joint enforcement operation with Greater Manchester Police.
Private hire vehicles licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council have passed a series of tyre safety checks carried out during a joint operation with Greater Manchester Police in Manchester.
The council’s Northern Compliance Team joined police officers on Halloween, Friday 31 October, as part of activities marking the end of Tyre Safety Month.
During the operation, officers inspected the tyres of 20 Wolverhampton-licensed private hire vehicles (PHVs), with every tyre examined found to be in good condition.
The checks also provided an opportunity for enforcement officers to distribute tyre tread guidance cards to drivers, helping reinforce the importance of maintaining safe and legal tyres.
In a statement published on social media on 5 November, WV Public Protection said: “On Halloween the Northern Compliance Team brought Tyre Safety Month to a close working with Greater Manchester Police Traffic in Manchester, giving out tyre tread guidance cards to drivers. Once again all tyres on 20 City of Wolverhampton Council PHVs checked were found to be in great condition.”
The operation demonstrates the cross-border enforcement work undertaken by Wolverhampton licensing officers, who monitor vehicles operating outside the local authority area in which they are licensed.
Wolverhampton is a significant licensing authority within the national private hire market, with vehicles licensed by the council operating in cities and towns across England. This makes joint enforcement activity with police forces and other licensing authorities an important part of monitoring vehicle standards.
Under UK road traffic law, car tyres must have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre’s width and around its entire circumference. Drivers can face fines of up to £2,500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre.
For private hire drivers, tyre defects can also lead to licensing consequences where a vehicle is considered unroadworthy or fails to meet the standards required by its licensing authority.
