News Item - News - Surrey Police

Joint operation to tackle taxi safety

Submitted: 26/07/2010 16:47:19

Police stopped taxis in Woking last week as part of a joint operation

Twenty seven taxis were stopped in Woking as part of a joint operation last week to ensure that drivers and their vehicles are complying with the law.

The initiative involving twelve officers from Surrey Police, Woking Borough Council, the Benefits Agency and Immigration Services took place on Thursday night (22 July) in the Goldsworth Road area of the town.

The clamp down comes following complaints about the operation of taxis in the borough made by members of the public to the various agencies. As a result of the activity, one driver was found to be an illegal immigrant who had overstayed in the country and was therefore working illegally. His taxi plates were confiscated by police and released to the borough council licensing team. He was dealt with by the Immigration officers.

A further seven drivers were found to be claiming benefits whilst working and each will be subjected to a review by the Woking Borough Council Benefits Investigation Office.

Woking’s Neighbourhood Sergeant Dave Griffiths said: “This operation was a huge success and a fine example of the different agencies working together and sharing information. In just over two hours there were 26 cars stopped which were licensed by Woking Borough Council - the other one was from the London area. The joint approach allowed offenders to be dealt with quickly and efficiently by staff from the appropriate agency.

“We received positive feedback from those legitimate drivers stopped and their passengers. This type of operation will be carried out in the future in a bid to ensure that taxis operating in the town are doing so safely and legally in order that our residents can feel confident in using them.“

Cllr Gary Elson, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Taxi and Private Hire Licensing, said: “We are extremely pleased with the way the operation was conducted and that the majority of taxi drivers stopped were compliant with the law. We will continue to work closely with partner agencies to ensure the safety of Woking’s taxi-travelling public.”