Know whose car you are getting into - warns council

Reporter: Ask Bury
Date online: 15 December 2006

Bury Council’s Licensing team is sending a Christmas message to party-goers to ensure they only use licensed vehicles to ensure maximum safety.

As the Christmas season approaches more people are likely to leave the car at home, have a drink and look towards the local public and private hire fleets to get us safely home. It can also be a time when one or two more unscrupulous people look to operate unlicensed taxis putting their passengers at risk.

Fortunately Bury doesn’t have a history of major problems with unlicensed drivers and vehicles but the team wants locals to remain on their guard; "Ensuring your taxi is properly licensed is the easiest way of ensuring that your good night out does not turn into a nightmare, "says Andrew Johnson from Licensing, "At this time of year unfortunately it’s a fact of life that the deceitful few take advantage."

Bury Council works with the public and private hire trade to help ensure the Bury travelling public gets the safest service possible. With a few simple reminders the travelling public can also play their part to ensure an enjoyable night.

If revellers choose not to pre-book a vehicle, they should take care and look out for indications that the taxi they are hiring is genuine. Vehicles licensed within Bury have licence plates front and rear. The number is a simple way to identify the vehicle, the same number is displayed within the vehicle. White plates are used on hackney carriages; they can work off the ranks and be flagged down in the street. Yellow plates are used on private hire vehicles which must be pre booked through the company operator. All drivers wear a badge which contains their photograph and will be happy to show it on request.