Private hire drivers from outside Liverpool could be the subject of extra inspections under new proposals - but one borough looks set to be left out of the plans.
Members of the council's licensing committee could give permission next week for officers to move ahead with a plan to better regulate vehicles from two neighbouring boroughs that work in the city.
If successfully completed, the plan would give Liverpool licensing officers the ability to inspect private hire vehicles from both Sefton and Knowsley, with officers there having the same rights towards Liverpool drivers.
However, according to council documents, neighbouring Wirral has not responded to requests from Liverpool to cooperate on the plan.
Taxi drivers in the city have long complained that drivers from other areas can more easily flout rules designed to protect customers because Liverpool council staff can't assess them.
The report authorising the city manager to move ahead with plans to implement the new rules says the council is currently 'severely limited' in how it can tackle violations by out of borough private hire drivers.
It says: "Currently, the City Council’s Licensing Officers are empowered within Liverpool to inspect licensed vehicles and drivers licensed
by Liverpool City Council.
"This severely limits the powers of City Council officers to regulate the entirety of private hire activity in the City, a large proportion of which is now carried out by 'out of area' vehicles licensed by neighbouring authorities, predominantly Knowsley and Sefton Councils."
"In order to address this issue the City Manager has been in discussion with his counterparts in Knowsley and Sefton Councils
and it has been agreed that a formal arrangement should be entered into between the three authorities whereby each Council’s
licensing officers shall be authorised to inspect licensed vehicles found working in their area notwithstanding that they are licensed
by one or other of the two other local authorities."
The report calls on the council to give the city manager authority to draw up a formal agreement between Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley.
It goes on to say that of the other authorities in the Liverpool City Region, Wirral has refused to cooperate while the numbers of vehicles coming in from both St Helens and Halton is negligible.
Members of the licensing committee will consider the proposals at a meeting next Wednesday.
