Organisations across West Northamptonshire come together to deliver operation to keep residents safe

West Northamptonshire Council’s Licensing Team and Northamptonshire Police Safer Roads Police Team are working in partnership to work with licensed vehicle drivers to carry out spot checks, focusing on vehicle safety.

On Friday, 8 December, they carried out an operation where several licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in West Northamptonshire had their licences suspended due to failing safety spot checks.

The vehicle spot checks carried out by the Police Safer Roads team and the Council’s Licensing Officers identified several vehicles that were deemed unsafe to carry passengers.

Four vehicles out of 23 inspected by officers and examiners were found to have immediate safety defects which included worn tyres and faulty lights. One vehicle was found to have a tyre which was worn to the extent the cord was exposed. An additional vehicle was found to not be compliant with law around smoking in vehicles.

By working with the police to carry out regular checks of the way that licensed vehicle drivers are working we can make sure that they’re adhering to the conditions of their licence and insurance and residents are travelling safely.

Our officers will now take the appropriate steps in relation to the minority of licence holders whose vehicles were found to be unsafe. Officers are also working with other drivers to raise awareness of how they can keep their vehicles in tip top condition and keep users safe.Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Engagement and Regulatory Services at WNC

When people pay to take a taxi or private hire vehicle, they should be able to feel confident that it is in safe, roadworthy condition and is being driven by someone with the necessary licences and the checks that sit behind those.

These vehicles and the service they provide are a lifeline for a lot of people, and we’re here to make sure they are as safe as possible when using them. We’re committed to improving the safety of all road users and will continue to work with council partners across the county to achieve this aim.Matt O’Connell, Safer Roads Team manager at Northamptonshire Police