Taxi Driver Online

January 22, 2008, Tuesday

CITY CLAMPDOWN ON TAXI TROUBLEMAKERS;

Marshals at cab queues in centre

TROUBLEMAKERS were arrested in a blitz on Liverpool taxi rank flashpoints.

During November and December, a team of marshals started supervising three busy ranks in the city centre.

The sites were Copperas Hill, at the side of the Adelphi Hotel, Nelson Street and North John Street, outside the soon to-be-completed Hard Days Night hotel.

Since it was launched, five people have been arrested and 20 fixed penalty notices handed out to offenders.

Offences have included being drunk and disorderly, criminal damage and possession of a controlled drug. Evidence has also been gathered for antisocial behavior orders.

The blitz was introduced to stop violent revellers in their tracks and prevent taxi drivers from cherry picking, The initiative was today hailed a success and received positive feedback from residents, bar owners, visitors and taxi drivers.

The guards, from local firm Impact Security Solutions, were trained to deal with drunks and badly behaved partygoers.

Many city cabbies avoid ranks because of the trouble over queue-jumping or drivers refusing to take drunks.

The marshals are stationed at the ranks from 11.30pm until 3.30am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Each member of the team will have a radio linked into the city centre CCTV system and a police patrol will be on stand-by.

Inspector Damien Walsh, of Merseyside police, said: "The pilot scheme is designed to provide visible reassurance with taxi marshals at three designated taxi ranks, supported by police officers.

The initiative has proved to be extremely successful with very supportive comments from those who visit and live in the city, alongside those who support the night economy of the Liverpool city centre."

Peter Jones, head of the chamber's Business Crime Direct Team, said: "Ideally, we would want to have marshalls all the time, but it's getting the funding to do it.

"The feedback has been very positive.

The next step will be sorting out Victoria Street, where all the cabs pull up even though there isn't a designated rank there."
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