Taxi Checks – Dumfries
On Friday 3 April 2015 officers from the Divisional Roads Policing Team at Dumfries carried out checks on taxis and private hire cars in the Dumfries area. This follows on from a similar exercise held in Stranraer in recent months.
A total of 18 vehicles were stopped and checked. Of those checked 5 were prohibited from continuing to operate due to mechanical concerns; 8 were allowed to continue but minor defects identified and 5 were given a clean bill of health.
Inspector David Blacklock from the Licensing Section at Cornwall Mount said “ It is important that members of the public are confident that the vehicles they are hiring are roadworthy and safe. We also take the opportunity to check that drivers are correctly licensed. Taxis and private hire cars can cover a very high mileage between mandatory maintenance tests . We work closely with the Local Authority to report and identify any serious issues. Fortunately, in most occasions vehicles are kept up to a good standard and often advice can be provided.
A review of licensing conditions relating to taxis and private hire cars is currently being undertaken by the Local Authority.
Graeme Wellburn
09.04.15
