Cheltenham Festival Taxi Driver's Licence Revoked Over Safety Issues

A taxi driver's licence has been revoked after safety concerns were raised about his vehicle during the Cheltenham Festival. The incident occurred after a routine vehicle compliance check in the early hours of March 15, following the Gold Cup, one of the festival's key events. The inspection, carried out by Cheltenham Borough Council’s Licensing Officer and an Avon and Somerset Police Taxi Compliance Officer, revealed that both front tyres of the vehicle were dangerously below the legal limit of 1.6mm, with one tyre measuring as low as 0.6mm.

The low tread depth posed serious safety risks, particularly in terms of stopping distances. This prompted the driver to be referred to the Cheltenham Borough Council's Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee for a review of his taxi licence. The committee expressed concerns over the driver's failure to maintain his vehicle, especially considering a history of issues with the tyres during MOT tests. Similar cases have occurred in other areas, with some councils taking action to ban unsafe taxis due to dangerous defects, highlighting the growing focus on ensuring vehicle safety in public transport. For more details, you can read about how councils have acted on such dangerous defects and risks in another recent report on unsafe taxis.

In the committee hearing on April 2, members unanimously decided to revoke the driver's licence. They noted that the deterioration of the tyres was particularly concerning during the Cheltenham Festival, the busiest week of the year for taxi services, when public safety is of paramount importance.

Michelle Bignell, Manager of Licensing and Public Protection at Cheltenham Borough Council, commented:

"The decision by the licensing sub-committee demonstrates the council’s commitment to public safety and that members will not tolerate a lack of regard to high standards that licence holders should demonstrate in terms of vehicle safety. All licence holders should conduct daily checks to ensure that their vehicles are safe to carry members of the public."