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Dirty-dealing taxi drivers snared at Liverpool and Everton football matcheshttps://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... d-16420196Council action part of wider crackdown on trades in the cityImage: Liverpool EchoTaxi and private hire drivers were snared at Liverpool and Everton home games in May.
Liverpool Council continued to clamp down on dodgy drivers at football matches in the final month of the Premier League season.
Across the month of May, one private hire driver was cautioned for illegally plying for hire outside one of the football grounds.
Elsewhere, two Hackney cab drivers were cautioned for failing to wear the correct badges while trying to pick up football fans.
And another Hackney driver from Manchester got into trouble, for failing to assist an officer around the time of a match in the city.
Operation Topaz is a campaign by the city council to improve the taxi and private hire trades during football matches in the city.
It was launched after a host of complaints about drivers charging exorbitant fares to fans upfront, cherrypicking certain fares and private hire drivers illegally plying for hire after full time.
Across the city, the council had a busy month in its bid to clean up both trades in general.
During May, a total of 40 cabs and taxis were either taken off the streets or served with serious defect notices for a string of faults.
Members of the city council’s Licensing Enforcement Team patrols the city at key times on a regular basis. And during May they snared 35 Liverpool drivers whose vehicles had a string of faults such as dangerous tyres, damaged bodywork, sharp edges and unclean and unhygienic interiors.
The team also took five cars off the road that belonged to taxi drivers from outside Liverpool. Any driver issued with a defect notice has seven days to make repairs or face further action.
Three Sefton-based private hire drivers were prosecuted for taking passengers who had not booked their journey in advance (plying for hire), whilst three black cab drivers were fined for being selective in what fares they took, rather than taking the nearest available passenger (cherry picking).
The Licensing Enforcement Team also works on behalf of the taxi trade and during May more than 150 fines were issued to private motorists who had illegally parked on taxi stands.
A further 53 taxi and private hire drivers were given written cautions for violations including failing to display their badges, not having valid insurance and failing to ensure the safety of their passengers.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr James Noakes, said: “This is another successful month for the enforcement team and it is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved that they have been able to identify so many drivers who are not playing by the rules.
“It is regrettable that so many drivers have fallen foul of the rules when they should know the standards that are expected on them. We are committed to protecting the public of Liverpool and we know that the overwhelming majority of our taxi drivers support us.
“The message from the city council is clear – if you come into Liverpool intent on breaking the rules or with an unsafe vehicle, you will be caught.”