Don't be tempted by rogue taxi drivers, resort's revellers urged

Scarborough – and its sister resorts on the Yorkshire Coast – is braced for an influx of party goers over the holiday, drawn by traditions such as the resort's Boxing Day Pub Crawl, which attracts people from all over the region.

However, concern about a minority of "rogue" cabbies poaching customers from regulated firms was underlined earlier this year when spot checks revealed "unacceptable" levels of defects with faults on almost half of all vehicles inspected.

Yesterday revellers enjoying a festive drink over the holiday were reminded by Scarborough Council licensing officers to only use legitimate taxis.

Officials say during the Christmas period, hundreds of people flock to the town centres in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey to have a good time with friends, family and work colleagues.

With the vast majority of revellers heeding warnings over drink driving, many people rightly opt to get a taxi home after a night out.

However, through an annual campaign called Taxi Safe, Scarborough Council's licensing authority is advising people to make sure they are getting into a legitimate taxi or private hire vehicle.

Steve Pogson, Scarborough Council's health and community safety manager, said: "We want people to have a good time during a night out – and this includes making it home safely.

"Our advice is very simple – make sure you get a licensed taxi home.

"Vehicles that operate illegally without a licence are not monitored or answerable to anyone and therefore there are not the same guarantees over standards of service or safety in place.

"We would advise people to either pre-order a vehicle from one of the licensed private hire operators or get a hackney carriage from a taxi rank."

All licensed private hire vehicles in the borough carry a red licence plate on the rear of the vehicle and the name of the operator is displayed on the rear doors. White hackney carriages carry a white plate at the rear and a roof sign displaying the word "taxi".

Anyone who suspects a driver of an unlicensed vehicle has offered to take them home or think they may have been transported by an unlicensed driver is being urged to report it to Scarborough Council's licensing officers on 01723 232323.

In September, officers from Scarborough Council and North Yorkshire Police teamed up for a crackdown on cabs which led to one vehicle being ordered off the road immediately, and six more facing bans unless they got all the faults fixed.

The purge, which also involved the Vehicle Operator Services Agency, was to ensure the public was getting into fully roadworthy vehicles. Inspectors were tar getting faulty headlights and indicators, illegal tyres and worn handbrakes.

The council's licensing officers were also checking that licensed drivers were fully compliant with council policy and Government legislation.

One vehicle had a bald tyre and the vehicle was taken off the road immediately. Six other drivers were warned they would face a similar fate unless they rectified a catalogue of faults which included a fuel leak, worn disc brake pads, an insecure exhaust, fractured suspension linkage and a defective steering joint.

Seven other cabbies escaped with verbal warnings for minor but important defects such as mirrors, suspension, and worn brake pads and tyres.

Council bosses said they were disappointed at the per centage of vehicles identified with defects, but underlined the diligence of the many licensed drivers who do check their vehicles thoroughly. Of the 27 taxi and private hire vehicles inspected, the remaining 15 were given a clean bill of health.