Joint operation by South Wales Police and Swansea Council sees three vehicles suspended from use

South Wales Police and Swansea Council’s Taxi Licensing Division conducted a thorough inspection of taxi and private hire vehicles (PHVs) in Swansea.

The operation, held on the evening of Friday 15 December, was organised to assess the roadworthiness of vehicles and the compliance of licensed drivers.

Marked police vehicles were deployed across Swansea city centre, directing taxis to a designated inspection point. There, the vehicles underwent rigorous checks for any defects, while taxi drivers’ licences were scrutinised alongside various other assessments using police systems. The operation was a joint effort, with both police and council staff participating in the inspections.

The operation led to the inspection of fourteen vehicles, including eleven taxis and three PHVs. Out of these, three vehicles were found to be non-compliant and were immediately suspended from road use. The specific issues included a vehicle with a defective tyre, a non-functional rear light, and an inoperable rear sliding door. Another vehicle was suspended due to a defective brake light, although this was rectified on-site. Additionally, one vehicle was issued a tyre advisory.

Further to these vehicle suspensions, advisories or warnings were issued to three drivers for various non-compliance issues. Notably, one licensed driver was operating without proper identification and failed to display the two required badges, a serious breach of licensing rules.

Sergeant James Ponting of South Wales Police said: “This operation was run to ensure that the taxis used were in safe working order and that we could be assured that those taxi drivers using them were licensed to do so and operating within the law.

“This would therefore hopefully bring reassurance and peace of mind to members of the public using taxi services during the festive period, in addition to improving the safety of other road users and pedestrians.”

Cllr David Hopkins, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Performance, said: “Members of the public should righty expect all taxi services to be safe, which is why operations of this kind are so important.

“This should act as a reminder to all taxi drivers in Swansea to ensure their vehicles and licences either reach the standards we expect, or they will run the risk of facing inspections and action.”