Taxi Driver Online

Crackdown on rogue taxi-drivers at Grand National


Taxi- drivers who overcharge at events such as the Grand National festival are being warned that they face losing their licences.

Liverpool City Council is to step up its enforcement activities following complaints in previous years that some drivers refuse to be hired until the passenger agrees to pay a higher fare than that permitted by the council.

The complaints have come from both members of the public and representatives of the taxi trade and the council is stressing that the vast majority of taxi drivers only charge the permitted fares.

However, it is determined to crackdown on unscrupulous drivers who take advantage of events such as the Grand National Festival when members of the public and visitors to the city rely on taxis throughout the four day event.

Drivers who are found to have overcharged will be reported to the Licensing committee who could revoke or suspend their licence.

All Liverpool licensed taxicabs have a set rate of fare displayed in the vehicle and the charges displayed are the only permitted charges. There are no separate fares payable due to the Festival and the public are encouraged to only pay the fare displayed on official tariff sheets in the taxi.

This year the Council Licensing Unit will be supplement its enforcement teams with additional officers from its Street Nuisance Team.

These officers have been given delegated authority to carry out taxi licensing enforcement operations and will target taxicab drivers operating illegally.

Interim Head of Licensing John McHale said “We are increasing our enforcement activity to protect the vast majority of legitimate taxicab drivers who are a credit to the city and deserve to be protected from this type of illegal activity which damages the reputation of the city and the taxi trade as a whole as well as leaving passengers out of pocket.”

Members of the public are also asked to help and the council would welcome any information from people who have been overcharged in this manner and can provide details of the driver or vehicle involved.

Information may be provided by phone on 0151 233 3015 or in writing to The Licensing Unit Municipal Buildings Dale Street Liverpool L2 2DH.

source: http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/news/details.aspx?id=214550

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

You will no better than me captain ,aintree is closer to sefton than liverpool city centre so how can city centre licensing police a sefton areas cabs,and can city centre cabs ply for hire outside aintree ?

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2012/04/11/liverpool-council-warning-over-taxi-over-charging-during-grand-national-festival-100252-30736928/


LIVERPOOL Council bosses are warning cabbies they face losing their licence if they charge over the odds at Aintree during Grand National weekend.

Licensing teams will be patrolling the area to crack down on cabbies who don’t stick to the maximum rate the council allows.

The ECHO understands extra staff from the council’s street nuisance team are to be brought in around the north Liverpool racecourse, which is expected to draw in around 150,000 people from around the world over the three-day event, which starts tomorrow.

Licensing bosses said they would be doing their utmost to rein in unscrupulous taxi drivers, and that they risk losing their livelihoods if they are tempted to overcharge people unfamiliar with the city who will be relying on taxis to get around.

The only fares they are allowed to set are regulated by the council, and customers should be aware there is no “special rate” for the Aintree festival.

Customers should check they are only being charged what is displayed on the fare sheet that is on show in the cab.

Drivers who are found to have overcharged will be reported to the licensing committee, who could revoke or suspend their licence.

Head of licensing John McHale said: “We are increasing our enforcement activity to protect the vast majority of legitimate taxicab drivers who are a credit to the city and deserve to be protected from this type of illegal activity.

“It damages the reputation of the city and the taxi trade as a whole as well as leaving passengers out of pocket.”

Anyone with information about a taxi driver they suspect of overcharging should contact the Licensing Unit on 0151 233 3015, or in write to The Licensing Unit Municipal Buildings Dale Street Liverpool L2 2DH.

It's a strange one this.

Apparently Sefton Hackney's have a rank on one side of the racecourse and the Liverpool Hackeny's rank up on the other side.

If a Liverpool taxi picks up and his drop off is the centre of Liverpool he will have to work off his meter.

Now if a Sefton taxi picks up and his drop off is also the centre of Liverpool he can charge whatever he wants (only as long as the passenger agrees and it's agreed before they set off) as the centre of Liverpool is over 4 miles outside the Sefton borough boundary.

I'd have never thought that the centre of Liverpool was outside the 4 mile boundary from Sefton, I am surprised

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Are those two the same thing?

I would say so, but, then I would

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!