OFFICERS from Warrington Local Policing Unit, supported by colleagues from Cheshire’s Special Constabulary and teams from the wider force, conducted a night-long operation ensuring taxi and hire vehicles were correctly licenced.
As part of work to keep residents and visitors in Warrington safe when out and about, officers were deployed across the town as part of Operation Confederation, ensuring the taxis were correctly licenced, as reported by Warrington Worldwide earlier this week.
Whilst it is not illegal for taxis licenced in other areas to operate in Warrington, it makes it much harder for drivers and vehicles to be safety-checked by local authorities to ensure that they are suitable for transporting the public.
Over the course of the evening of Saturday 7 June, Warrington Neighbourhood Teams were out in force with representatives from Warrington and Wolverhampton Council enforcement teams, basing themselves in the town centre and hotspot locations such as Warrington’s Bank Quay and Central stations.
As it was National Specials’ Weekend, the team were also supported by officers from the force’s own Special Constabulary and their Merseyside Police counterparts, allowing the operation to cover the entire town on what was a busy Saturday night.
Over 27 taxis and hire cars were checked during the evening, with most of the regulatory breaches being minor.
Those in breach of their licencing were swiftly removed from the road and will not be allowed to operate a taxi in Warrington until these issues have been resolved.
Inspector Christopher Webster, of Warrington LPU’s Neighbourhood Team, said:”With the busyness of the summer months and several large events and festivals taking in Warrington and the surrounding areas, our Neighbourhood Policing Team have been deployed across the town centre as part of Operation Confederation, which focuses on ensuring licensed passenger vehicles such as Ubers and independent taxis are adhering to the terms of their licences.
“Alongside our colleagues from Roads and Crime and our partners from the Warrington and Wolverhampton Councils, we made the most of it being National Specials Weekend and utilised the support of our volunteer officers from both Cheshire and Merseyside. Their help meant that we were able maximise our visual presence across Warrington, providing reassurance to the general public where needed on a busy Saturday night in town.
“It was really reassuring to see that so many of the taxis that operate in our town were compliant with the appropriate legislation, with the few found to be in breach being swiftly removed from the road.
“Our officers will continue to support the legitimate taxi drivers in Warrington all year round, with this operation continuing well into the summer months to ensure those enjoying a night out in Warrington can return home safely.”
