Operations by council officers and Merseyside Police have identified drivers from Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley and Wirral who were committing a range of offences over the past month

Taxi licensing officials in Liverpool have launched a crackdown on poor standards among private hire and hackney taxi drivers – with 14 fined in the last week alone.

Operations by council officers and Merseyside Police have identified drivers from Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley and Wirral who were committing a range of offences over the past month.

A total of 14 drivers were fined a total of £4,655 at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday, October 26, for offences including tyre defects, trying to pick up passengers who had not booked and driving without insurance.

And118 vehicle defect notices and 57 cautions have been issued for offences such as cherry picking, parking a private hire on a hackney taxi stand, having an illegal tyre and not having their plates firmly fixed on – while a further seven vehicles were ordered off the road immediately.

Officials also issued 160 fixed penalty notices to drivers of private cars who parked illegally on taxi stands, taking up space meant for hackneys.

Two other drivers – one private hire and one hackney – have had their licences revoked for drug related offences.

Councillor Christine Banks, chair of the city’s licensing committee, said: “We want to make sure that our taxi industry is fair, and we are determined to crack down on those drivers who are flouting the rules.

“Our aim is to make the playing field for all drivers as level as it can be.

“Unfortunately, there are a very small minority who breach regulations, and we are committed to taking action and in doing so, send a clear message out that it is not acceptable.”