about time too judging by how many stories about liverpool appear hereLiverpool Council will be the first in the country to let taxi and private hire drivers avoid punishments if they agree to go on a special improvement course.
The authority is set to introduce an optional ‘speed-awareness-style’ course to help improve things like behaviour, driving standards and customer service amongst the city’s Hackney and private hire drivers.
It will also address issues relating to the conditions of vehicles being used in Liverpool - which the council said is a concern.
The new Improvement Training Course could also be cost-effective for the cash-strapped authority as it would offer relief for its stretched team of enforcement officers who currently have to monitor the thousands of licensed vehicles in the city.
So what is the Improvement Training Course?
This would be an optional course, which will be offered to taxi and private hire drivers as a means of avoiding other punishments and enforcement action.
In the same way that regular drivers can take part in a speed awareness course to avoid license points and fines, the course could take the place of fixed penalty notices for licensed drivers.
Drivers won’t have to take up the offer and won’t be punished further if they refuse - but it could be a way of them avoiding more formal enforcement action.
What will the course entail?
The new course will cover things like the legislation surrounding the issue of defective tyres - which the council said is a growing issue.
There will also be aspects looking at the customer service, attitude and behaviour of drivers.
Other areas covered will include driving standards and the condition of licensed vehicles.
The course will need to be completed within two months of it being offered and accepted.
Once a driver has completed the course, they will not be offered it as an option to avoid other action for three years.
Why does the council want to do this?
Principally, the council said it believes the course will drive up standards and will potentially stop licensed drivers being taken off the road.
But there is no doubt that this is a cost-cutting effort from the authority as well.
Earlier this year an ECHO investigation showed that the city centre is at times overrun with drivers committing offences, including illegally plying for hire and the council admitted it is struggling to cope.
The offer of an Improvement Training Course would remove the need for costly further enforcement on a particular licence holder and hopefully lead to better long-term behaviour by said driver, which would ease the burden on the council’s licensing and enforcement staff.
Liverpool Council: “It is about balance”
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