Taxi firm ordered off road

A taxi company with a fleet of around 300 cabs has been ordered off Auckland's roads.

Economy Taxis has had its licence revoked as of yesterday, Land Transport NZ said.

An investigation had uncovered several serious breaches of the regulations which apply to cab firms.

These included the existence of false rosters for drivers, false entries for hours in drivers' logbooks, taxis operating with expired Certificates of Fitness and without Passenger Service Licences, and drivers with expired passenger endorsements and/or suspended driver licences, Land Transport NZ said.

"There was a general lack of control by company management over its members and drivers," said John Doesburg, Land Transport NZ's national manager for commercial road transport.

"The operating standards of this company were simply not up to scratch. We've given them opportunities to make improvements – they haven't done so and as a result their ATO status has been revoked."

Economy Taxi operates between 280 and 350 cabs around Auckland – the company was unable to provide Land Transport NZ investigators with an exact figure.

The company was first informed of the intended removal of its licence in March and final notice was given on May 25.

Police have been notified of the revocation and will be stopping any Economy cabs still in operation and ordering them off the road. It was possible some drivers would not know the company was no longer allowed to operate.

Mr Doesburg said the revocation action was a sign of Land Transport NZ's commitment to improving standards in the taxi industry throughout the country.

- HERALD ONLINE STAFF