Sefton Council spends almost £10,000 a DAY on taxis, according to recent figures.
The local authority's bill for taxi journeys and private hire vehicles hit a staggering £1.8 million in just six months.
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Between July and December 2018, the cash-strapped council paid £1,780,926 to five different firms.
Formby Village Cars took the lion's share of the money, receiving more than £875,000 across the six-month period.
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Central Cabs and Radio Yellow Top Cabs, both based in Southport, received £116,220 and £186,774 respectively.
Seaforth Radio Cars were paid £388,246, while Knowsley-based firm Radcliffe Taxis received £214,495.
A spokesman for Sefton Council said: "We have a statutory duty to provide home to school transport for children and young people who cannot travel to school because of their Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
"The majority of this money is used to transport some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Sefton to school and many of these people have complex medical needs.
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"Transport provision for home to school transport is regularly subject to market testing to ensure costs are competitive.”
Since 2010, Sefton Council has lost £233m. That is a real term reduction of 51% of its budget, and £746 per year from ever household in the borough.
At its budget meeting last month, the authority agreed to increase council tax to help cover the rising cost of children's social care, and to protect vulnerable old people.
