‘Not in my view’ excuse rejected after Liverpool taxi taken off the road for cracked windscreen
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
Liverpool City Council Licensing has issued a warning to hackney carriage drivers after suspending a licensed taxi found with a cracked windscreen, stressing that safety defects cannot be dismissed simply because they fall outside a driver’s direct line of sight.
In a post shared on social media, the licensing authority said: “It’s not in my view” isn’t a defence. It added: “A cracked windscreen can compromise safety, putting passengers and road users at risk. Licensed drivers are responsible for ensuring their vehicles are safe and roadworthy at all times. This HCV was recently suspended by Officers.”
The image accompanying the post shows a licensed Liverpool hackney carriage with a crack extending across a significant section of the windscreen. The vehicle’s hackney carriage licence plate, valid until December 2026, is also visible, although identifying details have been obscured.
The reminder reinforces the legal responsibility placed on taxi proprietors and drivers to ensure vehicles remain roadworthy throughout the period of their licence, rather than only at the time of annual testing.
Windscreen damage can affect a driver’s field of vision and, depending on its location and severity, may breach roadworthiness standards, resulting in enforcement action.
Liverpool City Council has increasingly used social media to highlight licensing enforcement activity, using real-world examples to remind the trade that vehicle condition remains a key part of public safety. The latest suspension serves as a warning that defects judged to compromise safety may result in a vehicle being removed from service until the issue has been rectified.
