Liverpool City Region have ‘pulled a fast one’ on excluding taxi drivers says West Lancashire MP
West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper has expressed her frustration at the Liverpool City Region’s (LCR) decision to exclude its licensed taxi drivers who live in West Lancashire from its coronavirus taxi driver support grants.
Local authorities across the country have put in place schemes to support their licensed drivers with grants due to the impact COVID has had on their income.
West Lancashire Borough Council implemented a comprehensive scheme which offered support to all drivers licensed within WLBC, whether they are resident within the immediate area or not, recognising their contribution to this area.
However, drivers who reside in West Lancashire but licensed in Sefton for example, have been excluded by the Liverpool City Region from receiving similar support as their residency is outside of their boundary.
West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper said: “Throughout the pandemic Government and local councils have provided millions of pounds in grant support and rightly so, to businesses and workers who have been directly affected.
“There are many examples of system failures which have meant some have fallen through the gaps and received less or no support.
“Here we have a situation where the taxi licensing authorities across the Liverpool City Region are content to take licensing fees from drivers for their plates, benefit from their continued operation providing transport for key workers across the City Region, then abandon them when they seek the basic support their other colleagues are receiving.
“Even West Lancashire Borough Council produced a system which supported all of their licensed drivers, wherever they live, but Liverpool City Region have pulled a fast one and left constituents of mine without the financial help they deserve.
“It is a disgraceful, insular and protectionist attitude from LCR and so I have written directly to the Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram appealing for him to intervene and ensure the system in place is fair and recognises these drivers and key workers that have kept his city region running through this pandemic.”
