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Dangerous taxi - who do I tell?

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I got a taxi today from the rank outside the Co-op on Snig Hill to my house because the bus looked rammed.

 

I'm not usually one to whinge, but there were a few problems with this taxi that mean it needs to come off the road.

 

1. When I tried to get in, the nearside rear door was stuck shut, so I had to get in the other side (which was fine getting it - the offside was near the pavement, but had to get out right into the road);

2. None of the rear seatbelts worked (they wouldn't pull out of their spools);

3. The driver wasn't displaying his licence or taxi reg in the car at all (in fairness, I have no idea whether or not he was required to do so);

4. He overtook a 52 bus on the high street as it was pulling out from its stop; 5. He then refused to brake when another taxi swung out from that parking spot at the end of Fargate (he just gunned it and the other taxi had to brake - god knows what would have happened if we'd hit it, remember the seatbelts weren't working!)

 

It was a bit of a dangerous ride, especially the two (very) near misses.

 

Clearly I've no idea who the driver was and could only offer a rough description but I did get its reg number and the taxi number that was fixed onto the rear of the vehicle.

 

Now I've had a look on the council's website and theres a page about taxi licensing, but it's more about applying for a licence and the licence meetings. If no one can help then I'll ring them in the morning and see if they can point me in the right direction, but I thought I'd ask here first.

 

Any ideas?

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Offer it to the council and ring the police on th 2202020 number and ask their advice. I am sure they would be happy to investigate a potentially bogus taxi especially at this time of year and you could be saving someone from a serious accident or a young lady on a night out an unmentionable experience.

PS regarding your signature, my Dad had his arm broke by a swan whils fishing on the Sibsy trader near skeg .

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You report him to the Town Hall licensing. Also the Police have a department that deals with this. This said, His license should have been on display in the front of the cab. Also the company he worked for. Was this an Hackney cab or private. Though the same laws apply . I ask because if this was an ordinary car he may not have been a real taxi driver. You should have refused to pay him and call the Police. But why did you not just get another taxi. If you did not have the seat belt fastened then he would have been motionless. In any case you should have got out of the taxi and not carried on with the journey. The closer we get to xmas the more we will see false taxi drivers on the road. There is a need to check before getting into a cab that the badge is displayed, That the relevant company and phone number and notices that are supposed to be displayed in the cab. That the taxi driver wears a badge that is in full view.

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if it was in a taxi rank it will be a black cab. take your info to the licensing people at the town hall. the entrance is round the back near surrey st

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This sounds very iffy , I actully think this was a liccenced taxi as the fake onces dont usually use taxi ranks as the taxi drivers sus them out veyr quickly

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You should have refused to pay him and call the Police. But why did you not just get another taxi. If you did not have the seat belt fastened then he would have been motionless. In any case you should have got out of the taxi and not carried on with the journey.

 

Yes, you're quite right. Although he was moving by the time I'd worked out that none of the belts worked and it wasn't just me being a spanner.

 

if it was in a taxi rank it will be a black cab. take your info to the licensing people at the town hall. the entrance is round the back near surrey st

 

I'll try ringing, it's not that often I'm in town when they're open. It was dark blue and one of the old boxy style ("metrocab"?). It was in the rank, so not a private taxi. It also had a sticker in for the company he drove for (although no decals on the bodywork).

 

Offer it to the council and ring the police on th 2202020 number and ask their advice. I am sure they would be happy to investigate a potentially bogus taxi especially at this time of year and you could be saving someone from a serious accident or a young lady on a night out an unmentionable experience.

 

I'll try and ring them now, see what they say. "Unmentionable experience" sounds a bit fnarr fnarr. :D I'm aware that I'm now going to hell.

 

PS regarding your signature, my Dad had his arm broke by a swan whils fishing on the Sibsy trader near skeg .

 

Really?!? Everything I have been taught is a lie. Consider me schooled. I have changed my signature accordingly.

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Just for a bit of closure I just rang the police, they took all the details down (I think someone will be ringing me back tomorrow) and they've asked me to call trading standards about the seatbelts.

 

All good.

 

Thanks for everyone's help!

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Thanks for changing the sig. They are vicious little swines when the biscuits run out.

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Did you get the reg number of the vehicle? if so, DO report it, i've known several instances of bogus taxis, some turning nasty.

 

And Clubfut, how exactly did the swan break your dad's arm? or was it indirect, like falling over to get away or something?

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Cops first. That many faults may mean the vehicle is in a generally dangerous state and the driver may not be licenced.

City council after mentioning the police report and crime number.

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Cops first. That many faults may mean the vehicle is in a generally dangerous state and the driver may not be licenced.

City council after mentioning the police report and crime number.

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