South Wales Police carried out a large joint taxi operation last weekend, working alongside the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Cardiff Council and Newport City Council taxi licensing teams.
The purpose of the operation was to check that vehicles were insured, licensed and safe to be on the road. Around 130 taxis and 20 minibuses were stopped during the checks. Out of the 150 vehicles inspected, several were found with issues that resulted in enforcement action.
Eleven minibuses received prohibition notices from the DVSA. Four taxis were given stop notices and six were handed improvement notices. One minibus was seized by police due to no insurance and having no licence, while another vehicle was seized by the DVSA for being unsafe.
Six taxis and six minibuses were issued immediate prohibitions and immobilised for being unroadworthy. A further eleven taxis and five minibuses were given delayed prohibition notices. Two drivers have been reported to court for using vehicles in a dangerous condition.
Chief Superintendent for Cardiff and the Vale, Marc Attwell, said:
“During the run up to Christmas the roads in and out of Cardiff become busier and the public must be able to trust the taxis they use. This is why operations like this are so important.
“So much of what we do as a force would not be possible without our Special Constabulary giving up their free time to help police our communities. We are extremely grateful for their vital work on this taxi operation.
“As a force we are committed to taking unsafe vehicles off the road, protecting lives and keeping the public safe.”
South Wales Police said similar checks will continue in the run up to Christmas to make sure passengers are protected and unsafe vehicles are removed from the road.
