Unlicenced Taixis and sex attacks

Illegal minicabs usually operate in major cities and towns accross the country touting for business outside clubs,
bars, restaurants or any other social events that attract large crowds. Driving saloon cars posing as taxis hoping to
grab an easy fare that is either too drunk, tired or desperate to get out of the rain to notice that the service being
offered is completely illegal. Completely unregulated and answerable to no-one,they offer no guarantees what-so-ever and
no safety at all. You may be riding in an unroadworthy car that has no MOT or insurance and therefore you wouldn't be
insured if you were to be involved in an accident. The driver may not even have a driver's license, may not speak English
except for a few words like "taxi" and "money" and may not know his way round to get you home or may indeed take you the
long way to extort more money out of you. He almost certainly wouldn't have been screened by the local licensing
authority and therefore will not have had a CRB check. You won't know him from Adam (whoever Adam is!).
In my 15 years as a taxi-driver myself, I have heard the occasional story from customers, usually men, of how they got
a great deal from a minicab driver: Central London to Letchworth Garden City for £25! Almost 40 miles - that's hardly
enough to pay for the fuel. So, was the car stolen? As the customers were men, and in a group, they thought this was
a nice and cheap way to get home from club-land and didn't feel in any danger. A good thing the wheels didn't fall off!
For women, however, jumping into the nearest available minicab outside a nightclub might be a different story - one that
I haven't personally heard first hand yet, thankfully. Maybe they wouldn't have got such a good deal.
Apparently, in London alone, 11 women each month are attacked after taking an illegal taxi and 80% of stranger rapes are
committed by unlicensed taxi-drivers. A sobering figure.
For a woman to swap the potential perils of walking home alone at night for taking an unlicensed taxi just because it seems
cheap and convenient is eaqualy perilous.
It's our resposibility to be aware of how and with whom we travel. Illegal minicabs are really not worth the risk.

Here are a few tips


Record the plate number or registration number of the vehicle before you get in, or perhaps text the details to a friend or
family member.If you have a camera phone take a picture of the vehicle and forward to a friend or family member.
Check the drivers badge and make sure that the photograph is of the driver of the vehicle and the licence is current by
looking at the expiry date.Check that the vehicle plates are displayed and that they have not expired.
If you have pre-booked the vehicle from a private hire operator make sure that the correct operator is
named on the rear identification plate of the vehicle as this ensures the vehicle has been booked correctly. When booking
a taxi with a private hire operator ask for details of the vehicle and driver, for example, the vehicle make, registration
and the drivers name. When the vehicle arrives make sure these details are correct before entering the vehicle. Make sure you
have enough money to pay for the journey or agree arrangements to pay with the driver or operator before the journey commences.
If you do not feel safe ask to be let out in a well lit area with people nearby.
Never flag down a vehicle which does not have an illuminated taxi sign or is a private hire vehicle as you will not be insured.
Sit in the back of the taxi.
If you have any doubts do not get into the vehicle.
Types of Taxi Vehicles
There are two types of taxi, hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and there are a number of important differences between them.
Hackney carriage vehicles can pick up from taxi ranks throughout the district and can be flagged down in the street.
Hackney carriage vehicles can vary in design from the traditional London cab to people carrier type vehicles to ordinary saloon vehicles.
Some hackney carriages are wheelchair accessible and are required to be able to carry a person seated in a wheelchair in comfort.
Hackney carriages can be identified by an illuminated TAXI sign on the roof and council issued licence plates to the rear of the vehicle.
These plates provide details of the vehicle and the licence expiry date.
Fares for hackney carriage vehicles are set by the council and all vehicles have a meter fitted which registers the fare to pay for journeys
within the district boundary. A copy of the hackney carriage tariff must be displayed in the vehicle. Private hire vehicles have
to be pre-booked, usually by way of a telephone call to a private hire operator and they cannot be flagged down in the street.
The fare to be paid should be agreed with the operator at the time of booking.
Private hire vehicles can be identified by council issued licence plates to the rear of the vehicle.

Travel Safely - always use a licensed taxi.