North Yorkshire Police warns taxi drivers to ensure vehicles are safe and legal following successful operation in Harrogate

The police have been working with a number of partners to carry out a series of checks on taxis and private hire vehicles to ensure they are keeping passengers safe.

Following similar successful operations in other parts of the county, the police ran the operation in Harrogate on Friday, December 13 to ensure taxis were of roadworthy standard.

During the evening, one taxi was completely suspended, four were issued with immediate or general prohibitions, and a further eight were found to have defects requiring action or served with advisory notices.

A variety of faults were detected including defective tyres, lights and engine management issues.

PC Dave Ellison, from the North Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Group, said: “I am grateful to the partner agencies in this operation which included taxi licensing enforcement teams from both North Yorkshire Council and Bradford Council, as well as the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency).

“We want to do all we can to ensure that taxis and private hire vehicles in the city are operating safely and legally.

“Thankfully, most people act on this advice, and I ask that all taxi drivers ensure that their vehicles are maintained, remain fit for purpose and are road legal.”

Councillor Greg White, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing our environment, added: "It is imperative that customers feel safe when using a taxi or private hire.

"Operations such as this show that not only are we taking this issue seriously, but they should also act as a reminder for the trade to ensure their vehicles are road worthy."