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Why are so many private hire cab drivers being prosecuted in Liverpool?
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... s-14561061
Recent months have seen a flurry of drivers before the courts as council crack down on one particular issue
This week five private hire drivers appeared in court in Liverpool - and were all prosecuted for the same offence.
They were the latest targets of a sustained operation by Liverpool City Council to clamp down on a particular offence that is prevalent amongst the trade - but that many may not be aware of.
The offence is called ‘plying for hire’ - and is illegal for private hire drivers to do.
What is plying for hire and why is it illegal?
Plying for hire is when private hire drivers pick people up directly from the street, who have not pre-booked their service.
Of course this action is allowed when it comes to hackney cabs - because they have a specific license to take people who flag them down or who jump into their taxi without a booking.
But private hire drivers doing this break the law.
What rules are being broken and what are the punishments?
Each incident of plying for hire gives rise to two criminal offences of firstly plying for hire in an unlicensed vehicle (in the sense that a private hire vehicle is not licensed to ply for hire as a hackney carriage is) and secondly, driving without insurance covering them for third party risks arising from using their vehicle for public hire.
The first offence is punishable by a fine of up to £2,500 and the second offence is endorseable with between six – eight penalty points plus a fine of up to £5,000. If a driver reaches 12 penalty points on their DVLA licence it will generally mean they will be disqualified from driving.
An additional penal consequence is that a driver who is convicted of driving without insurance will inevitably face a large hike in their future insurance premiums.
How big a problem is this in Liverpool?
Last year the ECHO conducted an investigation which suggested that private hire drivers plying for hire is a fairly common issue in the city centre.
While the vast majority of drivers adhere to the rules, Liverpool Council and Merseyside Police believe it is enough of a problem in the city to consistently carry out undercover operations regarding this specific issue - operations that appear to be having success.
On top of the five prosecutions this week, the city council has successfully prosecuted a total of 30 licensed private hire drivers for plying for hire in Liverpool without a licence in the past year.
The total of fines imposed comes to £17,783 - with each driver being handed at least 6 points on their licence.
Is the action working?
It appears to be.
A council spokesman said that it believes the message is getting through to drivers that plying for hire is illegal and dangerous.
In a statement, he said: “The operation to enforce the rules for private hire drivers is an ongoing joint action between Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police.
“At its heart lies our concerns for public safety. Private hire drivers are only allowed to carry passengers who have pre-booked their journey. They are not the same as black cabs, who can pick passengers up on the street.
“Private hire drivers who do pick people up on the street are breaking the law. They will also not be insured for the journey.
“In these circumstances both the passenger and the driver are taking unnecessary risks. If anything were to happen during the journey, there would be no record of the booking making it difficult to trace the details.
"We are pleased to say that private hire drivers are heeding the message and we have had many reports of drivers refusing to take passengers who flag them down in the street.”
He added: “We would like to thank both the public and the private hire community for their co-operation.
“The message from Liverpool City Council and its partners is clear – don’t take a private hire journey unless you have booked in advance.”