Taxi spot checks in Borehamwood

A series of spot checks were carried out on taxi drivers in Borehamwood on Wednesday, 8 November as part of an initiative to assess the roadworthiness of taxis and drivers' physical condition.

Hertsmere Borough Council's Licensing Team joined forces with Road Policing Officers, Hertfordshire County Council Road Safety Officers and VOSA for the initiative.

The team saw 63 taxis between 2.30pm and 9.30pm at two check areas in Borehamwood, either by appointment or on demand by police motorcyclists. The aim of the initiative was to assess private hire and Hackney Carriages road-worthiness and drivers' physical condition.

During the spot checks, which took place outside Evans Halshaw on Manor Way and Kwik Fit on Elstree Way, the County Council's Road Safety Unit conducted driver eyesight checks – six drivers were given advice to discuss their eyesight with an optician.

VOSA carried out vehicle examinations for mechanical defects and five immediate prohibitions and one delayed prohibition were issued, which resulted in four vehicles having their Hertsmere Borough Council license plates removed. Three were returned after the vehicle had been repaired and the prohibition lifted.

All drivers had their documentation checked or were issued with instructions to produce them in future and both the driver and vehicle were checked for drugs using the drugs itemiser, no drugs were found.

Phil Andrews, Principal Licensing Officer at Hertsmere Borough Council, said: "It is clear that our inter-agency checks form an important part in ensuring that the travelling public is safe in Hertsmere when using private hire cars or Hackney carriages. There has been an improvement in the condition and maintenance of these vehicles over the last couple of years which checks of this nature help to maintain. Overall, the day was a great success.

"During the day we also gave out information leaflets on unlicensed cab drivers. We are fortunate that this is not a problem in Borehamwood, however, there is a risk that these people will come in to the Borough because we are so close to London.

"Unlicensed vehicles are likely to be unsafe, uninsured for carrying the public and the drivers unfit for this type of job so the message was, if you suspect a driver of being unlicensed, don't get in the car and report them to the Council's Licensing Officers."

Councillor John Donne, Chairman of the Licensing Committee, attended the check to find out more about the initiative.