‘The public must be able to trust the taxis they use’
Police operation in King Edward VII Ave, Cathays Park, during which 130 taxis and 20 minibuses were stopped
Police held an operation to check the safety of taxis in Cardiff, and the results were staggering. Officers from South Wales Police stopped 150 vehicles and found a host of problems including unsafe and unroadworthy vehicles.
The operation, with taxi licensing teams from Cardiff and Newport councils as well as the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), took place in Cardiff over the weekend of November 15 and 16 along King Edward VII Avenue in the city centre.
Around 130 taxis and 20 minibuses were stopped. Of those:
- 11 minibuses were issued prohibition notices by the DVSA
- Four taxis had stop notices placed upon them and six were issued with improvement notices
- Six taxis and six minibuses had immediate prohibitions and were immobilised by DVSA for being unroadworthy
- 11 taxis and five minibuses were issued delayed prohibition notices by DVSA
- Two drivers were reported to court for using vehicles in a dangerous condition
- One minibus was seized by police for no insurance or licence and one was seized by the DVSA for being unsafe
Police operation in King Edward VII Ave, Cathays Park, during which 130 taxis and 20 minibuses were stopped
Chief superintendent for Cardiff and the Vale, Marc Attwell, said: “During the run-up to Christmas the roads in and out of Cardiff become busier and the public must be able to trust the taxis they use.
“This is why operations like this are so important.
“So much of what we do as a force would not be possible without our special constabulary giving up their free time to help police our communities. We are extremely grateful for their vital work on this taxi operation.
“As a force we are committed to taking unsafe vehicles off the road, protecting lives and keeping the public safe.”