A big drive has taken place over the past couple of weeks with West Midlands Police working closely with Walsall Council Taxi Licensing Enforcement Officers carrying out spot checks to ensure taxis and hackney carriages in the borough are safe and compliant with licensing conditions.

54 licensed vehicles were stopped during the exercise and seven vehicles were found to be driving on tyres that were bald or borderline. A number of other compliance issues were discovered including faulty lights and missing first aid kits and fire extinguishers. 26 drivers were found not to be wearing their badge.

A range of actions have been taken by the officers including verbal warnings and in the more serious cases the vehicle being taken out of service.

Officers also undertook a similar operation at five of the town’s special schools checking on drivers, vehicles and pupil escorts. In these cases, of the 47 vehicles checked in the past two weeks, the majority complied with licensing regulations.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Shires has responsibility for taxi enforcement within his Cabinet post. Speaking about the operation he said:

‘Taxis and hackney carriages play an important role in the life of the borough and we need to ensure that drivers and their vehicles comply with regulations aimed at keeping everyone safe. I’d like to thank everyone involved for their co-operation.’

Taxi Licensing Enforcement Officer PC Dave Humpherson from West Midlands Police said:

‘The majority of drivers operate legitimately but there are those who operate dangerously and knowingly. We would always urge passengers to book their journey or make sure they use a properly licensed cab. The message for drivers is simple; stick to the rules. Get caught, go to court!’