Driving a cab in Liverpool might be getting a bit pricier soon, as the city council proposes to increase the costs for the first time in over ten years. This change comes as the council also cracks down on advertisements plastered on the sides of taxis. With recent revelations shedding light on nearly 500 private hire licenses being issued to drivers with Liverpool postcodes in Wolverhampton, the council is looking to shake things up in terms of licensing fees.
Currently, drivers in Liverpool fork out £60 for a one-year hackney carriage (black cab) or private hire license, or £150 for a three-year permit. But hold on to your seats, folks, because these fees are about to see their first hike since way back in 2011. The general purposes licensing committee will be discussing these proposed changes, as well as considering restrictions on what can be displayed on taxi cars. This could potentially mean waving goodbye to gambling and e-cigarette advertisements on the sides of vehicles.
It seems that the number of hackney carriage drivers has dropped by 131 in the past four years, while private hire drivers have surged by 1,063 during the same period. Interestingly enough, some of these drivers are registered in Wolverhampton instead of Liverpool, leading to their vehicles becoming familiar sights in Merseyside. The reason for this switcharoo? Well, apparently, Wolverhampton offers a more lenient, faster, and cheaper licensing process. This has prompted a Freedom of Information request, revealing that Wolverhampton Council dished out 479 private hire driver licenses and 695 vehicle licenses to Liverpool-based applicants in 2024. Looks like the tides are changing in the world of Liverpool cabs—buckle up, folks!
