Jonathan Fry: Taxiwise Drives Campaign for Safe Taxi Use

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Taxiwise Drives Campaign for Safe Taxi Use

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Taxiwise, the safety awareness campaign aimed at stamping out bogus minicab drivers has sparked a nationwide call to arms on taxi safety.

The cause was launched in May 2003 in response to the horrific stories of unsuspecting passengers prayed on by rogue drivers posing as legitimate cabbies.

It has since attracted celebrity backing and gained regular nationwide coverage through its hard-hitting newsletters, highlighting the dangers to people trying to get home and offering advice on how to tell if a cab is legitimate.

Now the cause has been taken up by a number of Councils and safety groups around the country to hammer home the message and improve safety for everyone.

And Taxiwise is pushing for more key groups such as Councils, police and schools to join the fight against bogus cab drivers.

Among the organisations which have recently launched their own initiatives is Barnsley Council’s licensing department, which is offering a special advice service to people on what to look for and check before getting into a cab.

West Dorset District Council has set up a similar service and issues regular warnings about the dangers of getting into unlicensed cabs. Medical and criminal checks are carried out on all registered drivers as well as insurance and car roadworthy inspections.

Flintshire Community Safety Partnership has published a pamphlet on how to make a safe journey home in a taxi, while Wolverhampton Council, as part of its Be Safe – Hail a Taxi, Book a Car campaign, is also highlighting the dangers.

Last year saw a joint Christmas initiative from the traffic section of Dyfed Powys Police and officers from Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing team to check that vehicles used as taxis were safe.

A Homesafe card advising on travel safety has been produced by Burnley’s Community Safety Partnership in conjunction with Burnley Council’s licensing team.

Meanwhile, Walsall Council’s licensing officers and police hit the streets at Christmas to make sure drivers were properly licensed.

A spokesperson for Taxiwise, said: "We are delighted that other campaigns are now being rolled out across the country to encourage the safe use of cabs. This proves that all our hard work is finally paying off."

"Taxiwise’s success has been evident but our campaigning continues and as the message spreads across the country, unlicensed cabs will be eradicated from our streets."

"The safest way to get home is to hire a London-style cab – or book a private hire car in advance and check the licence details before getting in."

Another scheme to improve peoples’ taxi safety is SafetyText, set up by Tim Blackman, whose daughter, Lucie, was murdered in Tokyo. It allows someone to send a delayed message to a friend. If they get home safely, they can then cancel the text without it sending, thus ensuring discretion and not disturbing anyone unnecessarily. If something is wrong, the text goes through telling the recipient where the person is or giving details of the cab.

In London, Mayor Ken Livingstone launched a service where people can text HOME to a set number and receive a list of approved, licensed cab numbers.

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