Green light for blitz on taxi safety

Oldham Licensing Committee
OLDHAM taxi firms will in future have to ensure that 75 per cent of their fleet passes a yearly safety check.

The Chronicle reported last week how spot checks found six out of 10 taxis in Oldham have faults.

The move — part of a blitz on vehicle safety by the borough licensing committee — means firms will now have responsibility for their fleet’s mechanical standard. Private-hire operators were previously under no obligation to ensure their vehicles were fit for use.

The changes will now be passed to taxi firms for consultation before details are finalised.


APPLICATIONS for an Oldham Hackney carriage licence will now have to include a new “intended use” element.
The move is an attempt to clamp down on the practice of registering a taxi where costs are lower, then using it in another, more expensive area with tougher restrictions.

The High Court recently said a local authority may refuse to grant a licence where the applicant intends to use the vehicle entirely or mainly in another borough.

Applicants for a licence in Oldham will now have to show their intention to ply for hire in the borough and keep a record of any work they undertake for a private-hire company not licensed by the council.