11 out of 18 Pendle taxis fail safety checks (From Burnley and Pendle Citizen)

11 out of 18 Pendle taxis fail safety checks

9:00pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News By Tyrone Marshall, Reporter

MORE than half of Pendle taxis tested during safety checks were taken off the road for defects, licensing chiefs have revealed.

Last month, Pendle Council’s taxi licensing department teamed up with the police to spot-check vehicles.

Out of the 18 tested, 11 of them failed and were taken off the road.

The results, described as ‘disappointing’, were a further blow to the taxi trade in the borough after councillors called for an increased number of spot- checks in December.

Jackie Allen, Pendle Council’s taxi licensing manager, said: “A joint spot- check on licensed vehicles was carried out on the evening of Friday, December 7, at Norfolk Street Garage with the police and Vehicle Operator Services Agency.

“Eighteen vehicles were tested in total, with 11 of those being taken off the road. The vehicles which failed the spot check will now revert to a four-month licence and test.”

At a council meeting in December, Coun Tommy Cooney raised the “poor pass rate of Pendle taxis during spot checks over the last two years”, and asked whether the number of checks should be increased.

During that meeting, the leader of Pendle Council, Coun Joe Cooney, said that although the pass rate was ‘disappointing’, he believed it was only a small number of taxi operators which needed to make serious improvements.

The council currently carries out tests once a year for vehicles less than three years old, and twice a year for vehicles over three years old.

For vehicles failing on serious faults, tests are carried out three times a year.