Taxi Driver Online

The Liverpool connection?

Most of us couldn't care less about the Liverpool connection. We aren't bothered about delta cars plotting in Liverpool waiting for jobs and we couldn't really care less that Sefton council with their "two" enforcement officers can't police their own area. That's a dilemma they chose for themselves when they decided to restrict hackney carriage licenses.

One might wonder why John Thompson the Sefton LO wants extra powers to go into neighbouring authorities to police vehicles as they see fit? Personally I couldn't care less who approaches me in Manchester and asks to see my badge but when you think that these people can't even police their own area then you have to start asking some serious questions?

I told John Thompson to get his own house in order before he asks for extra powers to police areas outside his own jurisdiction.

He was apologetic to the fact that his authority only had two enforcement licensing officers to police over two thousand vehicles and over three thousand drivers.

Yet he still thinks he can police his own authority and every other authority in the country,

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Two? There were three Sefton enforcement officers checking records in Delta's office tonight:- Mike, Lorna and Nigel. John Thompson himself counts as four. Peter retired a year ago and his position has been advertised for ever since. Unfortunately Sefton, like many other councils, has a finance deficit. As a result their wage structure only permits limited wages per position. There is hundreds of thousands of pounds excess sat in a ringfenced taxi licensing account but because only so much can be spent per officer, Mr. Thompson has an unphill struggle just keeping hold of existing officers, let alone attracting new members.

There's a few points I'd like to throw into the discussion. Firstly, there may be thousands of cars licensed by Sefton, but they're not IN Sefton. The majority work Liverpool and Knowsley. Secondly, Sefton is unusual in that one of its operators (Delta) does a pretty good job of policing over half of the locally licensed drivers. Seaforth Cars do a pretty good job of policing their drivers too.

Thirdly, Liverpool has higher paid officers and more of them, but what do they actually do? They enforce taxis, restaurants, street vendors, gambling establishments, pet owners, they are jack of all trades and masters of none, whilst John, Lorna, Nigel and Mike deal exclusively with taxis. The officers Liverpool does have don't even know the difference between stopping on a rank and parking on a rank, which is why they continue wasting time, effort on money on trying to prosecute Delta drivers for picking up or dropping off on ranks throughout Liverpool.

I'd say that on the whole the Sefton area is better policed (by officers and operators) than Liverpool is. But there is certainly room for improvement. Sefton needs to up it officer wages and get more bobbies out on the beat to maintain quality control and tackle illegal activities.

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Don't knock it, 'til you try it....

Sefton is or was, in the process of hiring a third enforcement officer as Mr T recently pointed out. If you were visited by three enforcement officers then they must have recently employed the third. When I spoke to John Thompson Sefton had two enforcement officers and in fact I stated as much on here.

It doesn't matter where cars work, there are no laws stopping Sefton council from policing their vehicles no matter which authority they work. Thompson wants to police every other licensing authorities vehicles no matter where they are licensed? This quite clearly suggests to me that he is admitting the fact that all licensing authorities are inadequate when it comes enforcing their own licensed owners and drivers.

Sefton has in the region of 3,000 owners and drivers which your three enforcement officers can't handle yet he wants powers to enforce every other authorities licensed drivers. I think he needs a reality check.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Delta is quite correct... two enforcement officers... one senior enforcement officer.. and one who is the boss.... and at least another half to come..... perhaps.... and you forget Sefton officers are already licensed as Liverpool offices. and vice-versa

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

So John Thompson was incorrect when he informed me Sefton had two Licensing enforcement officers or perhaps he just didn't include the Senior enforcement officer but it doesn't really matter does it, three are just as inadequate as two.

If two enforcement officers are enforcing in Liverpool who's doing the enforcing in Sefton? If all these enforcement officers work days who is doing the enforcing at night and vice versa?

Nearly 3000 vehicles and only three enforcement officers but we shouldn't forget that Sefton Private hire drivers are an exceptional bunch because they seldom ply for hire illegally and that would account for the low detection rate of Sefton enforcement officers. So why are Liverpool getting so uptight about Sefton private hire sitting in Liverpool?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.