Taxi driver representatives have criticised Caerphilly Council’s licensing department for “inconsistencies” in vehicle checks.
Members of Caerphilly Taxi Drivers’ Association described checks on ‘tinted’ windows and rear seats when applying for a vehicle licence as “pot luck”.
Under licensing laws all vehicles used to carry passengers commercially must be checked by the council, but drivers say inconsistent tests are ruining their livelihoods.
Caerphilly County Borough Council is one of three local authorities in Wales that do not allow heavily tinted rear windows, according to Freedom of Information responses.
But, while Neath Port Talbot and Blaenau Gwent councils use special equipment to measure the light coming through a window, it is understood Caerphilly officers use the naked eye.
Chris Bundy, Caerphilly Taxi Drivers’ Association, said one driver lost £500 replacing windows deemed tinted on a brand new car.
He said: “If you go on a sunny day you might be lucky but if you go on a dark day you’re stuffed.
“They just come out and look at the car. There’s no measurement at all it depends how good their eyes are.”
There are also concerns over “inconsistencies” with the licencing of vehicles able to carry six passengers.
The association provided evidence showing that of three Vauxhall Zafiras, one was licensed to carry six passengers while the two others can only carry six people “where the two rear seats are used solely for the carriage of children under 16 years of age and/or when fulfilling Caerphilly County Borough Council school contracts”.
David Miller, Secretary of Caerphilly Taxi Drivers’ Association, sold his brand new car, losing £4,000 when he was told he may have conditions put on his vehicle.
He said the council would not provide a list of vehicles that they will licence.
Mr Miller said: “As an association we’ve always worked hand in hand with the authority, but the relationship between the taxi drivers’ association and the council is starting to breakdown.
“The relationship we’ve built up over ten years is being smashed to bits.”
A spokesperson for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “The safety, welfare and comfort of passengers and drivers of licensed vehicles is always a key consideration for the council.
“The taxi trade were consulted on the introduction of CCBC Vehicle Inspection Standards (based on a National Standard developed in conjunction with VOSA) prior to their approval and adoption by the Licensing Committee in December 2014.
“We will continue to work with applicants and support them through the assessment process. Any disputes will continue to be determined independently by the authority’s Licensing Sub-Committee.”
Sounds about right for Caerphilly Council, they make up their own regulations and apply them depending on which direction the wind is blowing, they take perverse pleasure in ruling against hard working people who are simply trying to earn a living and make a life for themselves. They hate anybody who can do something that they can’t and have all been trained in the art of being as abnoxious as possible to the general public.
The Zafira ruling is utter rubbish, having owned 4 of them I know for a fact that they can easily carry 6 adult passengers, and privacy tinted glass fitted by motor manufacturers complies with MOT rules and European legislation.
Is this like the `inconsiderate” parking of Taxis? The inconsiderate Dropping off of passengers from the middle of Cardiff Road instead of pulling into the parking areas outside local pubs, causing inconvenience to other road users, and probably a health and safety issue for pedesrtrians, and the inconsiderate parking of taxis on the pavements outside `Glanmores`, on a bend in Cardiff Road, the inconsiderate parking of taxis on zig zag lines outside Iceland store in Cardiff Road, or, the inconsiderate U-turns performed in the main road adjacent to St Davids Charity Shop outside the Castle Shopping Centre, endagering other road users, or, the inconsideate expectation by taxi operators that proper enforcment of the safety rules and regulations performed by officer of the Council and the police should be relaxed.
More regulation, more checks, and more police enforcement is the answer to a good reliable safe and friendly public service performed by responsible taxi operators, in Caerphilly and throughout the borough.
I can’t argue against many of your points and nor would I but as regards dropping off on Cardiff road, those pull ins are usually full of badly parked cars. Cars owned by people who are just nipping to the bank or to the news agent etc. I always thought they were for taxis or loading etc, correct me if I’m wrong, so a bit of leeway there would be fair.
Disclaimer: we all do it when we need to got to the cash machine.
The problem is of course lack of Enforcement by local PSO`s who are the ones who now enforce parking in the town.
They will however `book` residents and have recently threatened to do so with more energy, why not do the same in Cardiff Road and sort out a multitude of problems
Your certainly correct
Caerphilly taxi drivers along with Caerphilly council are not consistent with the claims they make in regard to the public interest and safety e.g.
Ccbc license drivers with these offences but omit to make it public.=
Burglary
Firearms offences
Assault
Serious driving offences
Fraud (staged traffic accidents) etc.etc.
But still allow them to be licensed and carry vulnerable people!
Am I not correct ccbc?
Sounds about right, Caerphilly Council make up their own rules and regulations and then apply them depending on which direction the wind is blowing.
My Plaid Cymru colleagues in the Town should have these matters under control, they are fully aware of the problems but for some reason appear reluctant to act.
Why? come on boys sort it out.