More than half of the taxi drivers stopped during a day’s enforcement operation were not compliant with their licence conditions, according to a local authority. 

The enforcement operation took place on Saturday, September 28 across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse in partnership with Thames Valley Police.

Licensed vehicles were stopped and inspected to see if they complied with the licence conditions set out by the local authority, along with checks on the vehicle’s roadworthiness.

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During the four-hour operation, 34 vehicles were stopped.

A total of 18 of these were registered with South Oxfordshire District Council, 13 with Vale of White Horse District Council and three with Oxford City Council.

Of those, 19 were non-compliant with issues such as drivers not wearing their badge, roof signs not connected and fare charts not displayed.

A total of 156 penalty points were issued to drivers on their council-issued licences as a result.

Some of the licences will now be reviewed due to an excessive number of points accumulated.

Police also took action against five vehicles and issued fixed penalty notices.

Georgina Heritage, South Oxfordshire District Council cabinet member for communities, said: “Taxis are a vital part of our transport system, particularly for those where public transport is difficult to access or those with disabilities. Passengers deserve to be able to ride in safe, comfortable and properly insured vehicles.

“These enforcement operations allow us to ensure licensed vehicles in our district do not put passengers at risk.”

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About the author  

Toby is a senior reporter who has a particular interest in covering planning and local government. 

He joined in September 2024 having been a reporter at the Hampshire Chronicle for three years. 

Toby studied at the University of Brighton and can be found on X through the handle @JournoToby