Dozens of Yorkshire cabbies are licenced by London

Records held by TfL reveal that 85 of its licensed taxi drivers have Leeds postcodes.

The figures were shared with Leeds City Council’s Licensing Committee yesterday as they received an update on the challenges faced by enforcement officers working to clamp down on illegal activity by taxi drivers.

Senior licensing officer Andrew White said the “very vibrant nature” of Leeds’ night-time economy meant that drivers from neighbouring authority areas were taking advantage of deregulation and coming to the city at weekends to pick up work.

But the council has no ability to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew the licenses of so-called ‘cross border’ drivers if they are found breaking regulations.

One of the biggest areas for concern is plying for hire – private hire vehicles picking up passengers with no prior booking.

Another is that enforcement officers out on the ground cannot readily recognise if drivers are suspended elsewhere.

Mr White said: “When we see vehicles licensed by other authorities driving in Leeds, we don’t know if they’re fit to drive, let alone safe to drive.”

Leeds City Council is lobbying the government to change the current legislation, while also entering into talks with York City Council and the other West Yorkshire authorities.

Meanwhile, West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has given £47,000 to fund two specialist road policing officers in the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights.