Taxi licences suspended after council checks reveal issues

Private hire and taxi drivers across the borough of Rochdale are being urged to check the condition of their cars after seven vehicles had their licences suspended.

Spot checks were carried out on 24 vehicles by qualified mechanics at Rochdale Borough Council’s testing station.

Of the 24 vehicles tested, all drivers and vehicles were found to hold the correct licences. Seven vehicles were deemed not roadworthy due to mechanical and electrical faults including bald tyres and worn brake pads.

These vehicles have been issued with prohibition notices, meaning they cannot be used as taxis or as personal cars.

The owners then had to take remedial action to the satisfaction of the DVSA and the police. Four vehicles issued with a prohibition notice have had their licences returned. The other three remain suspended until the council receives confirmation that the cars are safe to drive.

A further six vehicles were issued defect notices for infringement of their licensing conditions, such as not displaying correct licensing signage. These issues were then remedied quickly to the satisfaction of the council.

The spot checks were carried out by Rochdale Borough Council’s licensing team, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers, and officers from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The checks were carried out as part of a year round programme led by the council to ensure that private and public hire drivers and their vehicles are operating safely.

Over the last 12 months (1 October 2018 – 30 Sept 2019), the council’s licensing service has undertaken six multi-agency initiatives (which has included GMP, DVSA and DWP) to ensure that both drivers and vehicles are in compliance with licensing legislation and their conditions. This has resulted in a combination of 117 vehicles being checked.

All drivers were found to be holding the relevant licences. 

At the time of asking, Rochdale Borough Council confirmed it currently has 1,668 taxis licenced.

Councillor Sara Rowbotham, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Rochdale Council, said: “We carry out these exercises on a regular basis to ensure the public are safe when travelling in licensed vehicles in our borough.

“Our monitoring will continue to take place and appropriate action will be taken against any drivers and vehicles found not to be compliant with our conditions.”

If you believe a licensed vehicle or driver is not compliant with licensing conditions you can report it to the council’s licensing service by calling 01706 924114 or emailing licensing.reg@rochdale.gov.uk.

All reports by the public are fully investigated.