Bay taxis up to standard

Taking a taxi in the Bay of Plenty is a safe way to travel according to the most recent safety audit.

The New Zealand Transport Agency conducted roadside checks on 49 cabs in Tauranga, Te Puke and Papamoa in March and found only 10 minor safety faults such as blown bulbs, low tyre pressure and security camera issues.

The audit also found 50 compliance faults most of which related to logbook errors and inadequate vehicle signage.

Taxi audits in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato are carried out three times a year and focus on a different aspect of the compliance requirements each time, said NZTA access and use regional manager for the midlands, David Pearks.

The audits can be carried out as random roadside checks or full fleet inspections.

Ten Northland taxis were deemed too dangerous and ordered off the road after a fleet audit conducted at the end of May.

Unsafe seatbelts and lack of tyre tread were among the reasons 10 out of 17 vehicles inspected by an Auckland-based NZTA team were given green non-operational stickers.

A taxi receives a green sticker and has its Certificate of Fitness revoked if it has safety issues.

The taxi has to be re-tested and issued a new certificate.

NZTA northern regional manager for access and use, Rick Barber, said of the 10 taxis, some were green stickered for insufficient tyre tread, worn inner steering rack, corrosion or rust, excessive engine oil, power steering oil and exhaust leaks, twisted suspensions and worn or damaged seatbelts.

Compliance issues in Wanganui have forced one company to announce its closure.

The Wanganui Taxi fleet was ordered off the road on July 23 after failing to meet compliance measures. New Zealand Taxi Federation executive director Tim Reddish said the non-compliance issue surfaced after Wanganui Taxis had entered a dispatch arrangement with a Palmerston North company and an overseas party. The company's cabs will be rebranded as River City Cabs.