Taxi and private hire licensing officers at Milton Keynes Council joined forces with Thames Valley Police last week on a safety operation.
A number of vehicles were stopped, of which 8 were sent for further checks at MKC’s test centre. On further testing by fully qualified examiners, breaches found included:
No first aid kit
No fire extinguisher
Defective lights
Tyre damage
Front grill damage
Missing wheel nuts
Anti-roll bar link not connected
And unclean vehicles.
The council confirmed that until all defects are rectified, the use of those vehicles will be suspended.
Steve Hayes, MKC’s Head of Transport, said: “It is so important that people have absolute confidence in the safety of licensed vehicles and this operation was designed to highlight those who do not maintain their vehicles.
"Licensed drivers are expected to check their vehicles prior to starting work and ones that do not will be caught and will have to deal with the consequences of suspension.
“We will continue to work with Thames Valley Police and our neighbouring local authorities to ensure the safety of the public when using licensed services. I would like to thank TVP for making their resources available for this operation.”
Image credit: Milton Keynes Council
