Eight taxi drivers from outside of Liverpool were stopped by officers last night, following a Merseyside police and Liverpool city council crackdown.
Last night, on Friday, December 18, taxi drivers from areas including Bolton had their licenses suspended or were issued with defect notices for travelling into Merseyside from Tier 3 areas.
Police are carrying out the operation across Merseyside this weekend to deter taxi drivers travelling from out of time and to identify uninsured or defective vehicles.
Superintendent Chris Gibson said that the operation is important for a number of reasons, including to stand in solidarity with the local taxi community who shouldn't need to compete with reduced trade.
He said: "We’re carrying out this action for three important reasons.
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"Firstly, to stand alongside our local taxi community, who have already had to adjust to difficult conditions and of course taken a massive financial impact of restrictions we have all lived under.
"The last thing they need, is taxis from outside the area competing for their reduced trade.
"Secondly, the risk that drivers and indeed anyone travelling to Merseyside from Tier 3 and other areas is plain to see, and I want to be absolutely clear that we will not tolerate it.
"Although real progress has been made by the people of Merseyside, the threat of Coronavirus has not gone away for anyone and we simply cannot let our guard down, or allow any behaviour or travel which heightens the risk of infection within our communities.
"Thirdly, and regardless of where drivers are travelling from, our Roads Policing Unit continues to work tirelessly to identify any defective or unlicensed vehicles, which can cause huge risks for companies, drivers and their customers.
"I’d encourage all taxi drivers and operators to regularly check your vehicles, as the vast majority do. Keeping our roads safe for all road users is vital, and we know too well the devastation that serious collisions can and do cause.
"We will keep on doing all in our power to reduce this impact."
