FIVE taxi “pirates” face prosecution after being arrested in Huddersfield.
They were held in an early-hours swoop on private hire vehicles trading illegally.
Police were joined by Kirklees Council licensing officers in the town centre and they stopped five drivers for allegedly picking up passengers in the streets.
Private hire taxis must be pre-booked and only official hackney-licensed cabs can collect fares in the street.
Now the five drivers have been suspended and are likely to be prosecuted by Kirklees Council licensing officers.
They worked with West Yorkshire trading standards officers and police.
The swoop involved people posing as taxi customers to test if private hire vehicles were operating legally.
Clr Christine Iredale, who chairs the Kirklees Licensing committee, said: “Illegal plying for hire is a problem that the Licensing Department is determined to stamp out as the insurance for the vehicles is invalidated by the illegality of the fare.
“This was also an example of the council achieving excellent results whilst working in partnership with other agencies.
“The operation was a huge success and more are being planned for all areas of Kirklees.”
Sgt John McFadzean, of Kirklees Police, also welcomed the initiative.
He said: “This was a follow-on from Operation Northdale which we carried out before Christmas and was designed to ensure the safety of revellers, particularly females.
“We want to make sure that people who have had a good night out in Huddersfield arrive home safely and are transported by someone who is insured and qualified.
“We had an example in the past where two Police Community Support Officers arrested a man who was a registered sex offender but posed as a taxi driver to try and trick a student into his car in the town centre.
“The response from the public has been very positive, in that they feel confident that they are using a fully-trained and reputable driver.
“The drivers themselves have also been very supportive of the initiative as it costs them a lot of money to run and maintain a licensed vehicle.
“The fee for a hackney licence is far more than it is for a private hire licence and obviously the people with hackney licences are not happy about people operating illegally.”
David Lodge, from West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service, said: “The operation was well-organised and well-executed, and the results speak for themselves.”
