New warning signs on Liverpool's private hire cabs to protect passengershttps://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... e-15090413The signs will caution members of the public from putting themselves in danger in certain carsNew warning signs are going to be placed on private hire cabs in Liverpool to let passengers know about the dangers of an illegal practice.
New stickers are being sent out to all private hire drivers, which will warn potential passengers about cabs that are wrongly plying for hire.
Plying for hire refers to the practice of private hire drivers picking up passengers on the street without their journey being booked in advance.
Plying for hire is illegal and anyone who gets into a private hire vehicle without it being pre-booked will not be insured for the journey.
In an effort to clamp down on the practice, Liverpool council will be providing every private hire car with a signpost urging people to pre-book their journeys.
The signpost will come in the form of a magnetic Liverpool purple strip which sends the simple message: " No booking, No insurance, No journey."
They are currently being sent to every private hire driver in the city and must feature prominently on the side of every veichle.
The signpost will also include details of how passengers can contact the Licensing Team to register a complaint or make a comment.
The move is being backed by many of the city’s private hire operators, including one of Liverpool’s biggest firms, Alpha.
Alpha operations manager Liam Sweeney, said: “We’re really pleased to support this council initiative. All our drivers are aware that they cannot pick people up off the street unless the journey has been booked in advance but the public has a part to play in this as well.
"It can sometimes be awkward for our drivers if they have to refuse someone who approaches them on the street so these signs will help to spell out to everyone what we can and cannot do.”
This follows an on-going operation from the city council’s licensing team to ensure private hire drivers are doing their bit not to pick up fares on the street.
Officers have been out posing as passengers to see if drivers will pick them up without an advance booking, taking tough action where there is evidence of wrong doing.
In one recent example from June, a private hire driver from Liverpool was ordered to pay nearly £1,000 in fines and was disqualified from driving after being caught plying for hire
There have been 27 prosecutions for plying for hire in the last 12 months, including a driver from Knowsley who was ordered to pay £712 and given eight penalty points after being caught in June.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr James Noakes, said: “When you take a private hire journey that isn’t pre-booked, you are not insured for the journey.
"If there is an accident and you are injured you may not be covered. Also, there will be no formal record of the journey, making it difficult for the police or the council to trace.
“We are fortunate in Liverpool that the vast majority of private hire drivers play by the rules. For those who do not, we have shown that we will take action.
“Members of the public who use private hire cars also have a responsibility to make sure they have booked the journey in advance. Our new signs get this message across in a simple and effective way. We are grateful that so many of the city’s private hire drivers will be using them.”
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