23/10/09
Enforcement in Northern Ireland
Release to: Coach Journals
Date: October 2009
Title: Enforcement in Northern Ireland
On Saturday 5th September 2009 the Department of Environment’s Driver Vehicle Agency carried out a co-coordinated enforcement check specifically to target motor vehicles transporting revellers to a music festival at Shane’s Castle in Antrim. The aim of the operation was to target suspect non-compliant buses and minibuses enroute to the event with particular focus placed on those that may be unlicensed, uninsured and unroadworthy. During the course of the operation 21 passenger carrying vehicles including an American Stretched Limousine were stopped and examined resulting in 18 (85%) being subjected to enforcement action in relation to the following:
Nature of Offence |
Number of Offending Vehicles
|
No Public Service Vehicle Licence |
12 (57%) |
No Valid Taxi Driving Licence |
4 (19%) |
No Insurance |
5 (24%) A further 7 drivers have still to produce their insurance for scrutiny |
Drivers Hours Offences |
11 (52%) |
Mechanically Defective |
13 (62) |
Of those detections the following sanctions were applied:
Sanctions
|
|
Defect Notices Issued |
7 |
Immediate Prohibition Imposed |
7 |
Vehicles Seized |
1 |
Prosecution Reports Generated to date |
10 |
In one instance a minibus carrying young party revellers was seized and removed by recovery vehicle in light that the driver didn’t hold a valid drivers licence or insurance, the vehicle was in a particularly serious unroadworthy condition and the owner of the vehicle couldn’t be established.
Further to this on Sat 26th September, Officers from the Agency’s Taxi Enforcement Team carried out a low key targeted operation aimed at detecting illegal taxis operating around Londonderry’s night life attractions. During the operation 3 unlicensed taxis were detected along with a 16 seat Stretched Hummer Limousine being used to convey passengers from the Republic of Ireland on a trip around the City. The Hummer which was inspected by officials was prohibited from continuing its journey on grounds that an EC Community Authorisation could not be produced and that its steering turning circle rendered it illegal to be operated on Northern Ireland’s roads. As a result the operator organised taxis as an alternative means of transport for the passengers in view that the vehicle would be impounded until a further technical inspection could be completed and a suitable recovery vehicle arranged for its removal.
Stephen Spratt Enforcement Operations Manager said, “The Driver Vehicle Agency has primary responsibility for enforcing legal requirements pertaining to public service vehicles and will continue to adopt an intelligence led approach in targeting unscrupulous operators who operate illegally at everyone's expense”
