TAXIS have been targeted in a police crackdown in South Cumbria in an attempt to take unsafe vehicles off the road.

Cumbria Police, along with Barrow Borough Council and the DVSA, stopped a total of 79 taxis overnight on Friday April 28.

Checks on licensing, the condition of the vehicle and whether or not drivers had proper insurance were carried out by the partner agencies.

Thirteen vehicles were taken off the roads for a range of offences including faulty tyres, suspension, lighting and brakes. Another driver was penalised for a defective tyre.

One vehicle had its entire ABS system removed – a particularly dangerous action which means the vehicle’s inbuilt safety system would not respond in a controlled manner in the event of sudden or emergency braking.

Cumbria Safety Camera Partnership also supported the operation and detected 44 drivers using excess speed on Michaelson Road. A driver travelling at 56mph was clocked on the 30mph stretch of road.

A further 25 drivers were reported for excess speed on Abbey Road.

PC Simon Smith, of the South Mobile Support Group, said: “This was a successful multi-agency operation which saw us working closely with others, including the Special Constabulary, to increase road safety in the Barrow area.

“I would like to thank Barrow’s taxi owners and operators for their assistance, support and patience. We will continue to conduct these operations to ensure robust checks take place and enforcement is carried out.

"This is vital to making sure members of the public can have confidence in the safety of whichever taxi they choose.”