Someone's been reading the latest DfT stats
Is 'private hire explosion' set to bring about the end of Liverpool's black cabs?https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... g-15361032Shocking new figures show the huge numbers of private licenses in Liverpool and neighbouring boroughAn 'explosion' of private hire drivers in boroughs surrounding Liverpool has been blamed for falling numbers of Hackney black cabs working in Liverpool.
New government data shows that the number of private hire drivers in Liverpool is continuing to surge - with numbers even bigger in smaller authorities like Sefton.
And at the same time, the number of black cabs working on the streets of the city has fallen.
For some time now Cabbies in Liverpool have been calling for stronger rules to stop private hire drivers - including those from app-based Uber - getting licenses elsewhere and coming to Liverpool to ply their trade.
The new figures show there were 2,372 people in the city licensed to drive a private-hire vehicle as of March this year.
That is up from 2,230 in March 2017 - a rise of 142 in just 12 months.
At the same time, the number of “Hackney carriage” drivers - those who can be hailed in the street - has fallen by 72 from 2,197 in 2017 to 2,125 in 2018.
Sefton has seen an even bigger increase in licensed minicab drivers, with numbers rocketing from 3,399 in 2017 to 4,286 in 2018.
Across Merseyside there are now three three private hire drivers for every one black cab driver.
Legal changes affecting the industry - and the rise of app-based “find-a-ride” companies like Uber - are changing the way we get around.
Private-hire drivers were originally only allowed to ply for trade in the place where their licence was awarded.
However, the Deregulation Act 2015 effectively allowed taxi and private-hire drivers to operate across the whole of England and Wales.
That has caused some controversy, with drivers in London saying they regularly face competition from drivers from as far afield as Birmingham or Manchester.
And this has been reported in Liverpool too - the ECHO has reported on drivers coming from Manchester and other cities to find work in Liverpool before heading home again.
Different licensing authorities can have different rules and application processes, too.
Mayor Joe Anderson has frequently suggested that there should be a specific Liverpool City Region licence that all private hire drivers would have to adhere to.
He says is he is frustrated that smaller boroughs like Sefton are getting larger amounts of licensing fees - but Liverpool is having to pick up the enforcement costs as drivers head into the city to find fares.
This isn't something Sefton Council agree with, however.
A spokesman said: "We pride ourselves on our taxi licensing process which we believe is quick, efficient, high quality and reasonable.
"Since the Deregulation Act 2015 came into force, we have seen an increase in the number of applications for private hire vehicles from outside Sefton.
"As long as each application meets all the relevant checks and tests for drivers and vehicles, a licence should be approved."
But taxi drivers in Liverpool believe their trade is being eroded because of the huge numbers of private hire licenses being handed out away from the city itself.
A spokesman for the Liverpool Taxi Alliance, said: "There has been an explosion of private hire vehicles licensed in neighbouring authorities."
The alliance believes the powers that be should now look at cutting down the numbers of private hire licenses being handed out around the region.
Despite the de-regulation act, Uber has announced that it now does not allow its drivers to 'cross-borders'.
A statement from the company said: "While cross-border driving is something the law allows for and is common in private hire journeys across England and Wales, we’ve heard from local licensing authorities that the way our app works can make it hard for them to oversee what some drivers are doing in their jurisdiction."
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