Prom limo taken off road in blitz

Stretched limousines taking youngsters to school proms were targeted by a crackdown on dangerous taxis in Walsall.

One of the US-style cars was taken off the road following the safety blitz by police and council officers.

The limousine, which had carried school pupils to a graduation prom party, was found to have an unsafe wheel by licensing officers supported by representatives of West Midlands Police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

Councillor Rachel Walker, Walsall Council cabinet member for environment, said: "Stretch limos or Hummers are a more common sight on Walsall streets these days and we would ask people to double check when they are booking that vehicles are licensed. Often they are booked by parents for their children for proms so we would ask that care is taken when they are hired.

"The clear message we want to get across is that we will not tolerate vehicles that are unsafe or unlicensed.

"We want to assure users that we work tirelessly to maintain high standards as the safety of the travelling public is paramount. High standards are required, whether that be private hire cars or stretch limousines.

"We require that vehicles are licensed so that we can check driver and vehicle safety. Unlicensed vehicles are not insured to carry passengers."

The action was taken as part of an operation that saw 15 vehicles checked and three taken off the road because of safety concerns. In the first part of the operation, four limousines were checked as they brought guests to a high school prom in Walsall this month.

The borough council refused to identify the school the car was travelling to.

Two of the four vehicles were found to be unlicensed with legal action now being considered against the driver of both vehicles.

One of the limousines was served with a prohibition notice, taking it off the road after a wheel nut was found to be missing.

Vehicles which carry nine or more passengers must be licensed as a passenger carrying vehicle. Those with eight or less must be registered as a private carrying vehicle.

In the second part of the operation, 11 private-hire vehicles were checked, with three taken off the road because of safety concerns and a further two given five days to carry out repairs.