A council has raised concerns about the safety of out-of-town PHVs after it found that all vehicles which failed recent spot checks were licensed 100 miles away.
Over the summer, South Ribble Council and Preston Council carried out inspections of taxis and PHVs operating in the area. The operations were carried out in association with the police and Wolverhampton Council, which licenses the most out-of-town PHVs in England.
During the operations, officials stopped 200 vehicles – 85 of which were licensed by Wolverhampton – immediately taking three off the road for serious safety issues and issuing warnings to “numerous” other drivers.
The operations, which took place during National Licensing Week, were aimed at ensuring taxis and PHVs were safe and being operated legally.
Warning
Following the checks, the BBC reports that Cllr Jane Bell, chairman of South Ribble Council’s licensing and public safety committee, warned people to choose locally registered PHVs instead of booking with Uber.
Speaking about the action taken against the drivers, she told the committee: “They were all Uber taxis . . . licensed in Wolverhampton.
“So, please be very careful when you use an Uber – you may not be safe.
“You certainly won’t be as safe as in our taxis, because our policies are very strict – and stricter than a lot of other boroughs.”
As well as the three prohibitions for defects, the committee heard that numerous warnings were issued to drivers for having incorrect plates or stickers or not having visible identification.
Standards
Uber said it takes safety seriously and works with councils to address any issues. A spokesperson told the BBC: “Uber operates according to the high standards set across the industry and abides by the same regulations as all other private-hire operators.
“We engage closely with councils across the country and are happy to discuss any issues with them.”
Wolverhampton Council says it has rigorous licensing checks in place and its officers travel across the country to ensure drivers and vehicles meet its standards.
The BBC reports that neither South Ribble Borough Council nor Preston City Council currently licences Uber vehicles, but drivers can still legally pick up fares in the area following changes to PHV licensing in 2015 which enables drivers to get their badge from any council, wherever they live or operate
Concerns
Concerns about the safety of out-of-town PHVs have previously been raised by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who called for a boycott of “out-of-town” private-hire taxis working in Manchester because they “undermined public safety”. He also accused Wolverhampton Council of carrying out “less-stringent” checks on drivers working in other areas.
Transport for London also accused Wolverhampton of “undermining key objectives” saying that the 300 private-hire drivers it had licensed to work in the capital were trying to avoid London’s licensing requirements and raised questions about safety.
Despite the claims, Wolverhampton insists it is keeping a close eye on the thousands of private hire taxi drivers who are registered with – wherever they are operating.
Wherever a PHV is licensed, safety has to come first and it is good to see action being taken against anyone who tries to take shortcuts, especially with vehicle safety.
