Six suspensions, untaxed vehicle and missing badges found

SPOT checks on taxis and private hire vehicles in Milford Haven, Neyland and on the A477 near Sageston uncovered a raft of issues, prompting a warning to operators to tighten up on safety and paperwork.

The operation took place on Thursday (Apr 3) and was carried out by Dyfed-Powys Police in partnership with the DVLA and Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing and school transport teams.

A total of 24 vehicles were checked. Of those, six were handed suspension notices, four were issued with delayed prohibition notices, and three drivers were found to be operating without badges. One vehicle was untaxed, and fixed penalty notices were issued where necessary.

A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire County Council said: “Disappointingly, lots of issues were encountered.”

The council added that taxi and private hire operators should complete a full checklist at least once a week to ensure vehicles remain roadworthy and compliant with licensing rules.

The Herald understands that many readers have raised serious concerns about completely unlicensed taxi operators, particularly in the Haverfordwest area. These rogue operators are able to undercut legitimate taxis by avoiding the high insurance premiums required for legal operation, as well as dodging council licensing fees.

This, taxi owners say, is putting immense pressure on their businesses. With rising costs and strict regulations, many are struggling to stay afloat while unlicensed drivers operate freely.

One local operator told The Herald: “We want to run proper, safe businesses — but we’re being strangled. The council and police need to go after the unlicensed ones, not just the licensed drivers making small mistakes.”

Checks were carried out in Milford Haven, Neyland and on the A477 near Sageston.

FOUR CREW BROUGHT TO SAFETY AS LIFEBOAT RESPONDS IN ROUGH SEAS

A 48-FOOT yacht weighing 14 tonnes was rescued off the Pembrokeshire coast on Tuesday (Apr 1) after its propeller became fouled in near gale-force conditions.

The vessel, carrying four crew members, had dropped anchor off West Angle after becoming disabled in easterly winds exceeding 30 knots. With sailing impossible and worsening conditions, a mayday was issued.

Angle RNLI’s All Weather Lifeboat launched at 3:52pm and made best speed to the scene. On arrival, the yacht’s crew recovered the anchor and the lifeboat passed a tow line.

An initial plan to tow the stricken vessel to Milford Marina was abandoned after heavy seas at the marina entrance made the manoeuvre too dangerous. The decision was then made to head upriver to Neyland.

However, Neyland Marina advised that there were no available berths for a yacht of that size. The lifeboat crew were left with no option but to continue the tow to Rudders Boatyard, where a mooring was located.

Once off Rudders, the yacht was brought alongside and secured safely. The lifeboat returned to station and was refuelled and made ready for further service by 6:30pm.

KIER and Pembrokeshire County Council held a traditional ground breaking event at Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI) last month – celebrating the official start of work on site.

Council members including the Leader Councillor Jon Harvey, Deputy Leader Councillor Paul Miller, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Councillor Rhys Sinnett and for Haverfordwest Castle ward Councillor Thomas Tudor, joined Kier for the event with the ceremonial breaking of the ground marking a key milestone in the project’s progress.

The scheme includes the construction of a modern bus station and multi-storey car park to Haverfordwest’s town centre, providing a new interchange for buses and coaches, with upgraded passenger facilities.

Designed by architects BDP and built by Kier, the completed scheme will include more than 300 parking spaces, seven bus bays, public toilets and accessible changing facilities for people with disabilities.

The project also has a number of sustainable features including electric vehicle charging facilities and an array of solar panels on the roof which will supply  the vast majority of the building’s energy usage and help Pembrokeshire County Council meet their commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.   

Ian Rees, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: “We have been on site for a number of months now undertaking essential enabling works, this ground breaking ceremony is an important milestone as we progress into the construction phase of this vitally important transport hub. 

“This transport interchange for Pembrokeshire County Council will really begin to take shape over the coming weeks and months and will ultimately deliver a much-needed, modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.”

Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “It’s great to see work starting on this new transport interchange, which is an important part of the wider Haverfordwest Masterplan. It’s designed to make it easy and convenient to visit Haverfordwest town centre which is a key part of our efforts to regenerate the town.

“I think we can all agree the previous multi-story car park had reached the end of its useful life.

 “Once we’ve completed this project, the town centre will be easily accessible both by bus and of course by car with the car park element of the project benefiting from wider spaces, EV Charging, single tap exit and payment and of course a much nicer, lighter and safer environment for users.”

Architects, landscape architects and civil and structural engineers from multidisciplinary design practice BDP designed the transport interchange.

Matthew Mayes, architect director at BDP, said: “This significant regeneration scheme will be transformational for local people, offering improved access to bus, taxi and cycling facilities with excellent connectivity to the riverside, shopping centre and railway centre.

“Our designs include striking aluminium fins that wrap around the building with stone cladding at ground level to reflect the town’s historic features and a new public square with plenty of greenery and seating for people to relax.”

Built on the site of a demolished multi-storey car park and bus station, HPTI will form part of the South West Wales Metro project, which aims to better integrate sustainable modes of transport and complements the wider regeneration work in Haverfordwest.

The design of HPTI is being funded from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.

 Kier has significant experience in south-west Wales spanning over 60 years and has included the delivery of schools, hospitals and even the home of Welsh television, S4C, in Carmarthen.

This project was procured by Kier through the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework (SWWRCF).