A RECENT police check on taxis transporting students and revellers around Swansea found almost half to have defects.

During the raid, 40 vehicles were stopped, with 18 being found to have problems – a dozen of these so dangerous that they were immediately taken off the road.

The stop and search, carried out by South Wales Police’s commercial vehicle unit on November 2, was the latest in a series of unannounced checks on commercial vehicles bringing people into Swansea for a night out.

Among the defects found were problems with brakes, tyres and lighting , a fuel leak, an oil leak and one vehicle was immediately clamped due to a rusted suspension.

Other problems included breaches of laws regarding drivers’ hours and MoT class.

PC Phil David said: “While we have seen a slight improvement in the condition of the vehicles checked, it is still alarming that a number of vehicles transporting passengers around the city are defective.

“We will continue to work with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the local authority to address this problem and will strive to ensure that all transportation to and from the city will be safe and legitimate.”