Liverpool enforcement catch minicabs illegal tyres, plying for hire, parking on ranks AND more

Liverpool City Council (LCC) continued their clamp down on vehicles parking on taxi ranks and private hire drivers not meeting the required standards.

Enforcement Officers took to the Merseyside streets at the weekend and posted several of the issues found, which included an illegal tyre, illegally plying for hire, and both minicabs and privately owned vehicles parked on working taxi ranks.

The private hire vehicle (PHV) driver caught plying for hire was caught last night on Newington. The Sefton licensed driver will be reported for the offence according to LCC sources.

A different Sefton PHV was suspended on Saturday night for working with an illegal tyre. In a message on social media, LCC asked drivers to: “Please take time to check your tyres properly before you start work.”

One Liverpool PHV driver was caught smoking in the vehicle and was issued a fixed penalty notice.

A Liverpool licensed minicab driver was found parked up on a licensed taxi rank. Several other vehicles were also handed fines for parking on city centre taxi ranks.

Officers also cautioned ‘a number’ of minicab drivers for failing to properly affix the licence plate to vehicle. LLC reminded drivers: “It remains the drivers responsibility to ensure that the plate is correctly affixed to the car.”

According to TaxiPoint, LCC have issued in excess of 1,800 parking fines to vehicles that have blocked taxi ranks in less than two years.

Licensing Officers from Liverpool City Council (LCC) issued a whopping 1,178 in 2018, and the figure stood at 663 up to September 2019.

Merseyside Police and LCC Parking Services also support initiatives to clamp down on motorists parked on taxi ranks and also issue tickets.

The motorists parking on the taxi ranks in Liverpool must now fork out £70 for the misdemeanour, with all fines payable within 28 days of the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) being issued. However, if motorists pay within 14 days the council will reduce the fine by 50% to £35 respectively.

Image credit: LCC Licensing (Twitter)