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Police stop 78 taxis

4:19pm Tuesday 29th May 2007

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POLICE stopped nearly 80 taxis this weekend as part of an operation on Wirral's roads.

78 taxis - both private hire and hackney, were stopped at different locations across the borough and dealt with for various offences.

Road policing officers were joined by Wirral's Taxi Enforcement Team and a vehicle inspector from VOSA (Vehicle Operators Service Authority).

Of the 78 taxis stopped:

10 vehicles were immediately removed from the road for being un-roadworthy

17 were immediately suspended from the road

19 vehicles were given condition notices

7 drivers were issued with fixed penalty notices

Neighbourhood Inspector Kate Cunningham said: "This was a successful operation targeting private and hackney taxis operating in the area to check the vehicles are roadworthy and licenses are up to date.

"Roads policing operations of this kind send out a strong message that if you are driving a vehicle without insurance, using a mobile phone whilst at the wheel or driving a taxi that is not fit for the road - we will target you and you will be dealt with accordingly and in some cases your vehicle will be removed from the road completely."

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Your Say YourWirral Globe

Dave, Wirral says...
9:02pm Tue 29 May 07

Not before time. The only recognised professional drivers in this country allowed to drive for hire and reward without being subject to a stringent, vocational driving test. Well done Police, VOSA and Metropolitan Borough of Wirral

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Rob, says...
11:13pm Tue 29 May 07

Well said Dave. I might add that I only do about 3000mls a year and go for M.O.T. once a year. Surely taxis do much more mileage and so should be tested more often. Also, they should not be allowed to drive down bus lanes if they have no paying passengers.

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Phil Watkinson, says...
8:45am Wed 30 May 07

Agree entirely with Dave and Rob. More of the same please!

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Dave, Wallasey says...
4:33pm Wed 30 May 07

Rob...take your point about Taxis using bus lanes when no passengers on board, they are only trying to get the jump on other road users ...mind you suppose it would be difficult to police

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John Charlton, Wallasey says...
5:11pm Wed 30 May 07

Taxis are allowed to use bus lanes whether carrying passengers or not purely and simply to speed up the process of moving the travelling public i.e. They may be going to or from a job. In this day and age when the Government is trying to get people out of cars and onto Public Transport surely that makes sense even to the most bigoted of motorist. I am a bus driver by the way. John

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Dave Rimmer, Wirral says...
6:46pm Wed 30 May 07

John...interesting to see you are a professional bus driver with a hard earned PSV license.
I have never understood why taxi drivers are allowed to ply for hire and reward without having to prove thier driving skills (or lack of them ) by undertaking a vocational driving test. Hence the general opinion of most qualified vocational drivers that taxi drivers are amongst one of the most unskilled groups of drivers on our highways. What % of them do you think would pass a car driving test? Get travellers out of cars by all means but allowing taxis to speed through clear bus lanes adds to urban air pollution

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Alan, says...
10:05pm Wed 30 May 07

Ten vehicles taken off the road for being un-roadworthy. That is a disgrace. Well done the police but more of the same please.

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Rob, says...
12:16am Thu 31 May 07

I wonder why people don`t walk much any more? Just a silly thought. I could walk to work n back every day but I`m too lazy and would have to get up half an hour earlier. I`d have to have a good coat and an umbrella too and a big bag for my "stuff". I have a "thing" about taxis. I will NEVER get in one. The bus does not stop outside my house and neither does it go near where I work. So I use one of my cars. Convenience I suppose. So for me ,I`m sorry, you can get rid of buses, bus lanes, taxis, cycle lanes and everything else that slows traffic down. Tarmac over the railway tracks too. Some nice direct routes going to waste there. Sorry again, I`m in a cranky mood. People are moaning about the cost of public (private) transport. So, do they make it cheaper and better? No, not bloody likely. They just try to force you out of your car into unroadworthy taxis and buses that don`t stop or go where you need them.

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Dave Rimmer, Wallasey says...
6:41pm Thu 31 May 07

Rob....refreshingly honest opinions some of which I agree and some I dont.....however have you heard of Merseytravels Joblink service. Its a door to door service for people who have no direct way via public transport of getting to work.There are certain criteria for using the service but at a net £1 for each journey (£10 per week) would probably be cheaper than using you car

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Rob, says...
7:16pm Thu 31 May 07

Cheers for that Dave. You do realise that I just like to be contrary and stimulate people into debating stuff. The Joblink service is news to me and I`m sure that some reading this will be obliged to you for that info.

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dave, bebington says...
7:31pm Thu 31 May 07

Wonder if people would so easily agree when you have no choices left to make because a Nanny State has made all your choices for you whether you agree or not!

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Dave Rimmer, Wallasey says...
8:48pm Thu 31 May 07

Rob...I totally understand your technique in stimulating the debates and is certainly less confrontational than some other contributors of this site, so keep up the stimulating dialoques.
Bebington Dave...yes you are right however we must allow individuals the right to thier opinions and if that means they bow to the nanny state thats up to them, not me my friend, I will fight against the ever increasing Orwellian state till the day I snuff it and probably beyond as well, starting with the incompetents running Wirral Council

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mike, birkenhead says...
1:08pm Fri 8 Jun 07

after reading all the comments so far , yes its good the council is doing something about the bad taxis out there yes yes not b4 time & sould do it more but plse there are more good taxis out there than bad , yes i'm am a taxi driver , do u relise how many people get into our taxis every nite tell us were they want to go & when we get there then they have the balls to turn around & say they have no money or not enough or just run off , we still have to pay bills just like every one else , just incase u ever wonder how much it cost a taxi driver per week average between £250 to £500 & thats is without disel also b4 we pay any off our own bills in life

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Icky, Derby says...
4:37pm Sun 22 Jul 07

I am a cabbie from Derby and the council come out to enforce twice a week and the VOSA/MOT etc once or twice a month....but I never see any checks on the buses arpund here, which carry many more passengers and usually you cannot see out of the windows, rattle, rattle... and guess what...NO CHECKS BY THE ENFORCERS!

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