Defective vehicles found at Dudley Special School taxi raid

The clumsy engines were among 27 private hire vehicles and taxis inspected during an operation at the Merry Hill Center on October 21.

All the cars were taxis taking the children to a nearby special school and were sent for routine checks in an operation which was the first of its kind in Dudley.

Normally the checks are done on school premises, but due to the number and size of vehicles, the sting operation was done in the parking lot provided by the center.

Nick Slym, assistant manager of Dudley Council’s licensing team, said: “These vehicles and drivers are checked to make sure everything is safe to use to transport these children to school.

“We are checking that the vehicles are roadworthy, that they have insurance and driving licenses and that all the conditions of the license we have are met.

“It’s difficult to check these vehicles on site without disrupting school parking and staff, it’s easier to get to a place like this.”

The vehicles were inspected by council officers and staff from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Authority, while officers from West Midlands Police also checked licenses and insurance.

All the taxis on site were from companies with contracts to provide transport to children with special needs under strict conditions.

Andy Beaman, a transport officer from the borough’s travel support team, said: “We need a standard for every vehicle and every operator.

“We can now go back to parents and schools to show that all vehicles have been checked and are in good roadworthy condition.

“This will send the right statement that we’re not just going to give out contracts and do nothing about it, we’re going to crack down on poor performance and substandard vehicles.”

Checks also identified two illegal license plates, some drivers had no badges and one driver was uninsured. Companies and drivers could face penalties, including criminal prosecution.

The two faulty vehicles had their licenses suspended and the operators will have to show that repairs have been completed before they can be used as taxis again.

Mr. Slym said: “It was a largely successful morning, a good percentage of vehicles are in good condition and meet license requirements, those that are not will be rectified quickly.”

Jonathan Poole, center manager at Merry Hill, said: “We are delighted to have supported the council for their vehicle review, which was hosted at Merry Hill this month.

“These checks are important to continually ensure that services across the community operate safely and that vulnerable children and adults in Dudley are protected.”

Councilor David Stanley, Dudley’s cabinet member for children’s services, said: “The safety of our children and young people is paramount, and our school transport contractors must adhere to the strict terms of our agreement.

“The majority of drivers and vehicles were found to be up to the expected standards and I would like to thank them for their patience.

“Unfortunately, there were a small number of drivers who were found to be in breach of their licence.

“These people will now face the ramifications.”