Almost one in 10 Norwich taxis found to have a defect
Almost one in 10 Norwich taxis have been found to have a defect in a recent council crackdown. - Credit: Archant
Almost one in 10 Norwich taxis have been found to have a defect such as bald tyres, broken seatbelts and damaged bodywork.
Issues were found during a council cab crackdown on Friday, December 3, which saw patrol teams checking taxis and private hire vehicles inspected at a site on Rose Lane in the city.
Around 10pc of vehicles checked required action to be taken to meet the Norwich City Council standard as set out in their license agreement.
Notices for unfit vehicles were issued along with details of when the problems needed to be addressed by, all of which will be followed up by the local licencing authority in due course.
PC Mike Stolworthy said: “It is disappointing to see the number of vehicles with defects, which were stopped as part of this initiative.
Almost one in 10 Norwich taxis have been found to have a defect in a recent council crackdown. - Credit: Archant
“We work alongside our partners throughout the year on a number of road safety campaigns in order to raise awareness of the importance of checking that your vehicle complies to the correct safety standards.
“We continue to urge drivers to check their vehicles regularly for any type of defect in order to keep themselves and their passengers safe on the county’s roads.”
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Drivers were also trained to be aware of passengers who may be vulnerable or who have potentially had their drink spiked during the stops.
Norwich city councillor Beth Jones, cabinet member for licensing and the night-time economy, said: “This was an extremely important exercise to ensure we’re keeping everyone safe that travels in taxis and private hire vehicles around the city to and from our night-time venues.
“As we approach the busy Christmas party period it’s crucial that licensed drivers take responsibility for their vehicles by checking them regularly and adhering to their licence conditions.
“Thank you to all partners involved in the exercise. I look forward to hearing about similar exercises in future.”
Teams also carried out entertainment venue license checks and issued advice on noise limits, arresting a drunk driver, and pulling over two vehicles with no insurance.
The council is hoping to repeat the exercise in the future.
