Flintshire taxis pass checks in first joint operation with council, police and DVSA
Taxi and private hire drivers across Flintshire showed high levels of compliance with licensing rules, a joint operation involving Flintshire County Council, North Wales Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has found.
Operation Cargo saw licensing officers carry out roadside inspections of taxis and private hire vehicles alongside police officers, with some vehicles taken to an agreed location for further checks by DVSA staff.
It was the first time the three organisations had worked together on a single operation.
In total, 21 vehicles were stopped and inspected in county-wide checks carried out over the course of a day.
Officers reported broad compliance, with only minor issues found.
DVSA staff gave advice on tyres nearing the legal limit, while licensing officers raised issues including missing first aid kits and missing no-smoking signs.
The operation coincided with National Licensing Week, an annual campaign highlighting the work of licensing teams, police and other partner organisations.
Councillor Ted Palmer, Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Assets and Public Protection, said: “These checks help ensure that residents can travel with confidence, knowing that licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in Flintshire continue to meet the standards expected of them.”
“I am pleased this operation found high levels of compliance and thank the drivers involved for their cooperation.”
Sergeant Emma Birrell, of North Wales Police’s Roads Crime Unit, said: “Taxi drivers must follow specific legislation to ensure that both their vehicles and drivers are roadworthy and sadly, we are seeing some fall short.”
“Any offence is enforced accordingly, and we will be continuing checks throughout the year in partnership with Flintshire council.”
“It is very important that anyone visiting town and city centres has assurance that their safety is of utmost concern when they use a taxi.”
Operation Cargo has previously focused on large goods vehicles using roads in Flintshire and Deeside.
In May, checks by the Roads Crime Unit and the DVSA on lorries in the area found a cloned vehicle, a fraudulent driving licence and drivers using vehicles with no insurance.
Eight vehicles were issued with orders prohibiting them from moving after defects considered unsafe were found, and several more were seized.
Sgt Birrell said at the time that a third day of HGV enforcement was planned, with ongoing targeting of large vehicles likely.
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